A team of London scientists has achieved a major breakthrough by discovering the main cause of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which may open the door to promising new treatments.
More than 10 million people globally are thought to be affected by inflammatory bowel disease, which arises when the immune system mistakenly attacks the intestines, causing a range of debilitating symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea and blood in the stool.
The disease can also cause sudden weight loss and severe fatigue.
Until now, health experts were unsure of the exact cause of this condition, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
But the new study, which included experts from University College London and Imperial College London, revealed a genetic vulnerability present in 95% of people with inflammatory bowel disease.
The research team focused on the so-called “gene desert,” a region of human DNA that does not code for proteins. They discovered that it contains DNA found only in a type of white blood cell, which is part of the body's immune system, called macrophages. This results in increased levels of a gene called ETS2, which is known to increase a person's risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease.
While there are no drugs that specifically target ETS2, scientists said current medications prescribed for other conditions could be effective.
They highlighted a type of cancer drug called MEK inhibitors, which work by preventing certain proteins from growing, as a potential candidate.
Tests found that MEK inhibitors not only reduced inflammation in the immune cells themselves, but also in samples of intestinal cells in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Since MEK inhibitors can negatively affect other organs, scientists are now trying to find ways to deliver the drug directly to patients' macrophages.
The team aims to start clinical trials within 5 years.
The study was published in the journal Nature.
We must take care of our bodies.
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