- Inflammatory bowel disease is a term that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Researchers recently conducted a study of a new medication in mice with inflammatory bowel disease to see if the drug could suppress an enzyme that is up-regulated in this disease.
- By the end of the study, the scientists say they were able to reduce inflammation in the colons of the mice.
- While the medication needs further research and testing, experts say it has promise for being another treatment for people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects the gastrointestinal tract by causing chronic inflammation, which contributes to pain, bloating, and other symptoms.
According to the
While there are treatments available for IBD, sometimes they may not work for people with severe forms of the condition.
This led researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland to try to create a new medication to help people get some relief from symptoms.
The researchers say they identified an enzyme that is over-expressed in people with IBD and wanted to develop a therapeutic that would lower levels of the enzyme.
In their study, the researchers said they were able to reduce inflammation and normalize the colon structure of the mice.
The study is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
IBD can be damaging to the body.
According to the
“Inflammatory bowel disease is a problem where inflammation will cause injury to the lining of the intestine, the large bowel, the colon, and that injury can be progressive,” Dr. David Binion explained earlier this year during a UPMC HealthBeat podcast.
Binion is an IBD specialist and the…
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