(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Researchers did a gut check, and may have come up
with the solution to a painful condition known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The scientists found a molecule produced by bacteria in the gut’s intestinal
make-up can eliminate symptoms of IBD, a condition that includes Crohn’s
disease. The research included work from experts at Harvard Medical School,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the California Institute of Technology.
“Given the sheer number of bacteria in the gut, the potential for discovering
new molecules that can treat a whole range of these diseases is promising,”
Dennis Kasper, co-lead author on the study was quoted as saying.
Scientists have known for decades that the mammal’s gut is an ecosystem teeming
with about 1,000 different species of bacteria. Rather than causing disease,
these bacteria are responsible for protecting against infection and aiding
digestion.
Researchers who conducted several studies involving mice found a sugar molecule
called polysaccharide A (PSA) effectively kept mice from developing the disease,
even when they’d been injected with another bacteria.
“This demonstrated for us the mechanism by which PSA protects against IBD,”
Kasper, from Harvard Medical School, was quoted as saying. While much more work
must be done before the treatment could be tried in people, the researchers
believe they’re on the road to a possible new therapy for this troublesome
condition.
SOURCE: Nature, published online May 29, 2008
