A study released at the 15th International Congress of Mucosal Immunology in Paris, France suggests that diet can have an impact on the digestive ecosystem in those with Crohn’s Disease.
A pilot study, lead by UC Davis(San Francisco, CA), took a look at how various diets affect bacterial flora counts in those with Crohn’s Disease. Researchers examined the bacterial make-up of 6 patients with Crohn’s Disease who were in remission who had either been on a Low Residue Diet or the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Their bacterial levels were compared to each other & a control group made up of people with healthy digestive systems. Previous studies have suggested that bacterial flora counts might play a part in Crohn’s Disease as those with Crohn’s Disease often show a lower bacterial flora count than those with a healthy digestive system. Continue reading “Diet Replenishes Bacterial Flora In Those With Crohn’s Disease” »
BioLineRx announced that it has licensed an experimental immunotherapy drug from Yissum Research Development Company Ltd which is the business side of Hebrew University of Jerusalem(Israel).
The drug is currently known as “BL-7040” & BioLineRx has plans to further develop & commercialize the drug worldwide. BL-7040 is an experimental drug that is still in testing, but it has already passed Phase Ib & Phase IIa clinical trials. Officially it won’t be known how well BL-7040 works until it’s subjected to Phase IIb clinical trials. However, Prof. Hermona Soreq sounds optimistic on the drug’s efficacy:
The efficacy of BL-7040 in these [earlier] studies was shown to be highly significant and comparable to that of dexamethasone, a steroid used routinely for IBD that has multiple side effects. Continue reading “BioLineRX’s TLR-9 Immunotherapy For Inflammatory Bowel Disease” »
A study by Liaoning University of Chinese Medicine suggests that acupuncture may have a positive effect for those with diarrhea predominate Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
The study took 30 male rats & put them through various stressors such as drinking water deprivation, electric shock & uncomfortable temperature variations. The rats were then divided into two groups, with 20 rats acting as the baseline model for the study while the other 10 were selected to receive acupuncture. The acupuncture was administered to the following acupuncture “channels”: “Xiajiao” (Lower Abdomen), “Dachang” (Large Intestine), “Gan” (Liver) and “Pi” (Spleen). Acupuncture treatments were given twice daily for seven days.
The results showed that the rats who did not receive acupuncture saw a downgraded level of serotonin transporters. Meanwhile, rats who did receive acupuncture saw markedly higher levels of serotonin transporters versus the model group. Continue reading “Acupuncture May Help Regulate Serotonin Levels In Those With IBS” »
A study done back in May & released at the Digestive Disease Week conference suggests that gastroenteritis caused by viral or bacterial infection may play a key role in triggering Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Continue reading “Study Suggests Infection Key To IBS, Especially In Military” »
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases can affect not just your family members, but also your family pet.
Mississippi State University is reporting that, “TaTonka Gold”, their living dog mascot had to be euthanized due to a number of health problems, one of which was Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This reminded me of an article I saw a few weeks back: “Treating inflammatory bowel disease in dogs” from the Washington Post’s website. That article involved a pet owner writing in about their dog’s digestive problems, the answer they received back was too look into the possibility that their dog has IBD. Continue reading “Inflammatory Bowel Disease Can Affect Cats & Dogs” »
Researchers at Utah State University are working hard to map the digestive tract’s ecosystem.
Utah State University is moving forward with further research into the different types of bacteria that live in our digestive system & how the foods we eat impact them. The study, called “Gut Check”, will be inviting residents of Cache County in Utah to participate. Participants help by answering a health survey, getting basic blood tests, keeping a detailed food diary(including pictures) for 4 days & then finally submitting a stool sample. In return they get free lab work & $20 buckaroos. The bacteria within the stool sample will be genetically analyzed to find out what type it is. Once all the stool samples are analyzed the data will then be reviewed looking for relationships between food eaten & the bacteria present. Continue reading “Utah State University’s Enterotype Research With “Gut Check”” »
HR 2239 “Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011” could increase funding for disease like Gastroparesis or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Visit Functional GI and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011 on Facebook.
Everyone out there who is dealing with a functional gastrointestinal and motility disorder(FGIMD) needs to listen up & get the word out to their friends, family & especially their local US district representative about H.R. 2239 the “Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011“. The goal of the bill is to increase funding for functional & motility related gastrointestinal diseases. Continue reading “Please Support HR 2239 “Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011”” »
In a 5-4 ruling today the Supreme Court ruled that generic drug manufactures can not be held liable for failing to properly warn about known adverse reactions to their generic versions of brand name drugs.
The ruling was prompted by a lawsuit from two women (Gladys Mensing and Julie Demahy) who developed tardive dyskinesia after taking a generic form of Reglan(metoclopramide). Tardive dyskinesia is a severe neurological disorder that causes degradation of motor skills & tremors. The symptoms are similar to those found in Parkinson’s Disease. Reglan is a motility drug that goes beyond the blood brain barrier & is used in the USA for treatment of things like Gastroparesis & acid reflux. While safer alternatives are available outside the USA, such as Domperidone, there aren’t really any viable alternatives in the USA besides the herbal Iberogast or Erythromycin(which has it’s own risks). Continue reading “Supreme Court’s Reglan Ruling Detrimental To Patient’s Rights” »
A recent study looked at the effectiveness of two offline therapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Stress Management Therapy, in an online setting.
The 195 participants in the study were assigned to either an online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy course or an online Stress Management Therapy course. Both courses lasted for 10-weeks. The courses consisted of self-help reading material along with course participants interacting with each other & a professional therapist via online messaging. Once the courses were done participants were questioned on their IBS symptoms, they were questioned again 6-months later.
The immediate results after either course suggested that both therapies provided “adequate relief”. However interviews 6-months later point towards Cognitive Behavioral Therapy having the beneficial edge at 67% reporting IBS symptom control, compared to 45% for those who took the Stress Management Therapy course. Continue reading “Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Be Effective for IBS” »
Advanced techniques in stem cell therapy may lead to new treatment options for those with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
MultiStem is a stem cell treatment therapy currently in development by Athersys in partnership with Pfzier. Athersys is currently targeting MultiStem as a treatment for a variety of illnesses such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease but also things like recovery from stroke, heart problems & transplant rejection. Multistem starts by harvesting stem cells from the bone marrow of a donor. Due to the technique that Athersys uses the donor does not have to be a tissue match for the recipient like in some other stem cell treatments. Supposedly it is also easy to mass produce MultiStem as a single donor can produce hundreds of thousands or even millions of doses. Continue reading “Novel Stem Cell Treatments For Inflammatory Bowel Disease” »