Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Aussies Tipped To Rise
Experts say more young people are being diagnosed with IBD - which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - every year. A PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by Crohn's and Colitis Australia calls for a national approach to IBD care. Gastroenterologist Dr Greg Moore says at the moment, access to appropriate treatment is inconsistent, and patients usually only see specialists when the problem flares. But relapses are unpredictable and failing to treat IBD when its active can lead to prolonged exposure to medications, adverse side effects, potentially invasive surgery or even death. Dr Moore says government funding for IBD nurses will help ensure patients are treated sooner, avoiding unnecessary surgeries, hospital stays and pain. "If we have specialist IBD nurses, they're readily accessible and can act as a point of triage so we can get patients in that need to be seen urgently and nip problems in the bud," he said. The cause of IBD is unknown, but it is more common in developed countries and possibly to do with hygienic living or diet. Dr Moore says GPs have poor knowledge of the condition and there is no permanent source of government funding for IBD nurses. "IBD ticks all boxes for a chronic condition. It has elements that are preventable, keeping people out of hospital and improving productivity, yet we can't seem to attract funding or interest," he says. INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE FACTS * More than 75,000 Australians have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). * The chronic disease affects about one in 250 Australians aged 5-49. extra resources http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/bowel-disease-tipped-to-rise/story-fneuzlbd-1226635666964
New probiotic combats inflammatory bowel disease
It may also prove to be useful in colon cancer, another disease triggered by inflammation. Northwestern Medicine researchers deleted a gene in the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and fed the new form to mice with two different models of colitis. After 13 days of treatment, the novel probiotic strain nearly eliminated colon inflammation in the mice and halted progression of their disease by 95 percent. "This opens brand new avenues to treat various autoimmune diseases of the gut, including inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, all which can be triggered by imbalanced inflammatory immune responses," said Mansour Mohamadzadeh, associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and lead investigator of the study. He also is a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. The study will be published Jan. 31 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. While the origin of these bowel diseases is not known, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two chronically relapsing diseases in which sufferers have an ongoing tissue inflammation that alters the functioning of the intestine. The diseases affect more than 1 million people in the United States and can cause weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping and gastrointestinal bleeding. Current drug treatment is not completely effective and patients can relapse, Mohamadzadeh said. "Such gene targeting in a probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus offers the possibility of a safe, drug-free treatment in the near future," he said. In the study, the modified Lactobacillus acidophilus entered the gut, which is akin to a battlefield of friendly fire with immune cells attacking the intestine. The Lactobacillus acidophilus acted as the gut's peacekeeping force, calming the overstimulated immune cells. The probiotic restored intestinal peace by mobilizing messenger immune cells, called dendritic cells. The dendritic cells, in turn, enhanced the production of other functional immune cells, regulatory T-cells that rebalanced intestinal and systemic inflammation. what do you think http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131153246.htm
New probiotic combats inflammatory bowel disease
It may also prove to be useful in colon cancer, another disease triggered by inflammation. Northwestern Medicine researchers deleted a gene in the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and fed the new form to mice with two different models of colitis. After 13 days of treatment, the novel probiotic strain nearly eliminated colon inflammation in the mice and halted progression of their disease by 95 percent. "This opens brand new avenues to treat various autoimmune diseases of the gut, including inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, all which can be triggered by imbalanced inflammatory immune responses," said Mansour Mohamadzadeh, associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and lead investigator of the study. He also is a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. The study will be published Jan. 31 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. While the origin of these bowel diseases is not known, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two chronically relapsing diseases in which sufferers have an ongoing tissue inflammation that alters the functioning of the intestine. The diseases affect more than 1 million people in the United States and can cause weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping and gastrointestinal bleeding. Current drug treatment is not completely effective and patients can relapse, Mohamadzadeh said. "Such gene targeting in a probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus offers the possibility of a safe, drug-free treatment in the near future," he said. In the study, the modified Lactobacillus acidophilus entered the gut, which is akin to a battlefield of friendly fire with immune cells attacking the intestine. The Lactobacillus acidophilus acted as the gut's peacekeeping force, calming the overstimulated immune cells. The probiotic restored intestinal peace by mobilizing messenger immune cells, called dendritic cells. The dendritic cells, in turn, enhanced the production of other functional immune cells, regulatory T-cells that rebalanced intestinal and systemic inflammation. what do you think http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131153246.htm
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