Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes: Crohn’s disease Ulcerative colitis affects approximately 3.1 million adults in the United States.
The disease can cause debilitating symptoms such as diarrhea. abdominal pain Other symptoms include convulsions and blood in the stool.
Now researchers at the UK’s Francis Crick Institute, in collaboration with UCL and Imperial College London, have discovered a genetic element – a “weak point” in the DNA – that is present in 95% of people with the disease.
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The study, published in the journal Nature earlier this month, A gene called ETS2.
ETS2 has been associated with inflammatory features that increase the likelihood of IBD.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause debilitating symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, and bloody stools. (iStock)
Rosario Ligresti, MD, chief of gastroenterology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, who was not involved in the study, called the findings “very important.”
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“Researchers have finally discovered that all autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including IBD, appear to be caused by a single gene, ETS2,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Research has identified this gene as a central regulator of a type of inflammatory cell called a macrophage, which is the primary inflammatory cell in all these processes.”
“IBD typically affects young people and can cause severe symptoms that interfere with education, relationships, family life and employment.”
“The more the gene is ‘turned on’ or amplified, the greater the risk of inflammation. Without this gene, these cells would not be ‘turned on’ and IBD would not occur.”
meanwhile Food and stress It has long been suspected to worsen inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but “the exact ‘molecular switch’ that activates IBD was unknown until now,” Ligresti noted.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects approximately 3.1 million adults in the United States. (iStock)
“This discovery is very exciting and significant because it improves our understanding of the inner workings of the disease and may enable researchers to adapt existing drugs to ultimately treat the disease,” Ligresti added.
The research team is currently Drug investigation It may be possible to reduce the activity of the ETS2 gene and reduce the incidence of IBD.
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They are existing Anti-inflammatory drugs Something called a MEK inhibitor might help.
“Although there are many factors that have been suggested as risk factors for IBD, there is currently no way to prevent the onset of IBD,” Ligresti said.
“Researchers have finally shown that all autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including IBD, appear to be caused by a single gene, ETS2,” the researcher (not pictured) told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“But we do know that inflammatory pathways in the body are likely activated at least five years before IBD symptoms start to appear.”
Ideally, patients at increased risk could be given medications during this time that could “prevent IBD from happening in the first place,” he said.
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Although further research is needed to find ways to deliver these MEK inhibitors to target cells, Ligresti noted that the discovery opens a “fascinating door” to the future of highly effective treatments to “block” inflammatory bowel disease.
The research team is now investigating drugs that might reduce the activity of the ETS2 gene and reduce the incidence of IBD. (iStock)
James Lee, group leader in the Laboratory of Disease Inheritance Mechanisms at the Crick Institute, who led the study, agreed that better treatments are “urgently needed.”
“IBD typically affects young people and can cause severe symptoms that interfere with education, relationships, family life and employment,” Lee said in a Crick Institute press release.
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“Using genetics as a starting point, we have discovered a pathway that appears to play a major role in IBD and other inflammatory diseases,” he said.
“The exciting thing is that we have shown that this can be targeted therapeutically, and we are now investigating how to make this approach viable. Safe and Effective To treat people in the future.”
Experts say inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis often begin early in life. (iStock)
According to the statement, 27-year-old Lauren Golightly was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2018 after experiencing stomach cramps, bleeding and irregular bowel movements.
“Since my diagnosis, I have faced many challenges. hospitalizationI was put on several different medications and even had surgery to create a temporary stoma bag,” she said in a statement.
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“Symptoms can still recur and people can still spend a significant amount of time in hospital.”
“It’s so exciting and encouraging to hear about this research. I’m hopeful that it could make a difference for myself and the hundreds of thousands of people living with IBD,” she said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the researchers for additional comment.
