Scientists say they have made a breakthrough after discovering an important cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that could unlock new treatments.
Until now, experts weren’t sure what exactly triggers the disease, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
But researchers in London have discovered a genetic weakness present in 95 percent of people with IBD.
And in what could be good news for the half a million Britons suffering from the condition, they discovered that existing medications, prescribed for other conditions, could combat this weakness.
Experts said the discovery could help sufferers get targeted treatments faster and even help other patients with other immune disorders that affect the spine, liver and arteries.
Until now, experts were unsure what exactly triggers the disease. But researchers in London have discovered a genetic weakness present in 95 percent of people with IBD. And in what could be good news for the half a million Britons suffering from the condition, they discovered that existing drugs, prescribed for other non-inflammatory conditions, could combat this weakness.
Dr James Lee, an expert in genetic disease mechanisms at the Francis Crick Institute in London, who led the research, said: “What we have discovered is one of the central pathways that goes wrong when people have inflammatory bowel disease and this has been demonstrated.” something like a holy grail.
‘Even in the case of pure, fundamental immunology, this is a really exciting discovery.
“But showing that this is dysregulated in people who get the disease not only gives us a better understanding of the disease, but also tells us that it is something we can treat.”
More than 10 million people worldwide are believed to be affected by IBD.
Existing treatments do not work for all patients, and an incomplete understanding of the causes of IBD has made it difficult to find new ones.
IBD arises when the immune system mistakenly attacks the intestine, causing a series of debilitating symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea and blood in the stool.
The disease can also cause sudden weight loss and crippling fatigue.
While there is no cure available, symptoms can be controlled with medication. These tend to be most effective when given soon after diagnosis.
However, for some patients these medications do not work and may require major surgery.
For example, one-fifth of people with Crohn’s disease will need surgery in the first five years after their diagnosis.
Researchers in the new study, which also included experts from University College London and Imperial College London, focused on the so-called “genetic desert”, an area of human DNA that does not code for proteins.
But they discovered that it contained DNA only seen in a type of white blood cells, which are part of the body’s immune system, called macrophages.
This increased the levels of a gene called ETS2 that is known to increase a person’s risk of having IBD.
While no drug specifically targets ETS2, the authors, in an article in the journal NatureHe said existing medications prescribed for other conditions could be effective.
They highlighted as a potential candidate a type of anti-cancer drug called MEK inhibitors, which work by blocking the growth of specific proteins.
And tests conducted by the researchers found that MEK inhibitors not only reduced inflammation in the immune cells themselves but also in intestinal cell samples from IBD patients.
However, as MEK inhibitors can negatively affect other organs, researchers are now trying to find ways to deliver the drugs directly to patients’ macrophages.
Their goal is to begin clinical trials within five years.
Christina Stankey, PhD student at the Francis Crick Institute and co-author of the study, said: “IBD and other autoimmune diseases are really complex, with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors, so finding one of the central pathways and showing how this can be disabled with an existing drug, it’s a huge step forward.’
Meanwhile, Ruth Wakeman, director of services at Crohn’s and Colitis UK, said: “Crohn’s disease and colitis are complex, lifelong conditions for which there is no cure, but research like this is helping us respond. some of the big questions about its causes.
“This research is a really exciting step towards the possibility of a world free of Crohn’s disease and colitis.”