Scientists have made a major breakthrough in understanding the cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as nearly 500,000 Brits suffer from it in the UK.
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, working with UCL and Imperial College London, say they have 'uncovered a pathway that appears to play a major role in IBD and other inflammatory diseases'.
What is IBD?
IBD is an umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which cause inflammation in the intestines.
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With Crohn's disease, it can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus.
Meanwhile, ulcerative colitis can affect any part of the large intestine.
Indeterminate colitis inflammatory bowel disease also refers to a type of IBD that has features of both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease
- Pain in the stomach area
- Diarrhea
- Sudden urgency to go to the toilet
- Blood in stool
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Not feeling hungry
- Anxiety
- Depression
Lauren Golightly, 27, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2018, said: “Crohn’s has had a huge impact on my life. I’ve had a rocky road since diagnosis, with many hospital admissions, several different medications and even surgery to have a temporary stoma bag.
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“One of the hardest things about having Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is the uncertainty around it.
“I still experience flare-ups and can still spend quite a bit of time in hospital. Learning about this research is so exciting and encouraging.
“I am hopeful this could potentially make a difference for myself and so many other hundreds of thousands of people living with IBD.”
What causes IBD?
Until now, we haven't discovered what causes IBD.
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But earlier this week, researchers said they have made a 'massive step forwards' in doing so.
James Lee, group leader of the Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Laboratory at the Crick, and consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital and UCL, who led the research, said: “IBD usually develops in young people and can cause severe symptoms that disrupt education, relationships, family life and employment. Better treatments are urgently needed.
“Using genetics as a starting point, we’ve uncovered a pathway that appears to play a major role in IBD and other inflammatory diseases.
“Excitingly, we’ve shown that this can be targeted therapeutically, and we’re now working on how to ensure this approach is safe and effective for treating people in the future.”
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Christina Stankey, PhD student at the Crick, and co-first author, said: “IBD and other autoimmune conditions are really complex, with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors, so to find one of the central pathways, and show how this can be switched off with an existing drug, is a massive step forwards.”
Anish Vij