Posts Tagged ‘Overactive Immune System’

Crohns Disease Research

12.23.09

In the early 1900’s, the disease we call today “Crohns disease” was characterized as an infectious disease, specifically intestinal tuberculosis. However, by the early 1930’s, definitive classification (proof) that this disease was infectious was not forthcoming. More specifically, when Dr. Burrill B. Crohn failed to prove an infectious cause in 1932, the disease became formally known as “Crohns disease” (named after Dr. Crohn) and the search for an infectious cause was largely discontinued.

As a result, Crohns disease research has for many years been almost exclusively concentrated in “immunology” – and finding ways to “calm the overactive immune system” in Crohn’s patients – immune systems which were overactive due to “no known cause.”

Research Beginning in the 1980’s
Nevertheless, beginning in the 1980’s, a small core of highly regarded and dedicated researchers in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and other countries valiantly began again – in the face of contrary opinion in the medical community, and despite low-level to nonexistent funding – the search for an infectious cause for Crohns disease.

Over the intervening years this small core of researchers has slowly grown, and despite all obstacles has continued to painstakingly and relentlessly amass scientific evidence that suggests an etiological connection between Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), and Crohns disease. On behalf of Crohn’s patients everywhere, PARA highly commends and offers a heartfelt “Thank You” to the dedicated researchers who, in the 1980’s, valiantly began again, and have henceforth, with slowly growing ranks, relentlessly continued the search for an infectious cause of Crohns disease.

Current Research – National Institutes of Health (NIH)
On December 14 1998, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) hosted a workshop entitled “Crohn’s Disease:- Is there a microbial etiology? Recommendations for a research agenda.”

The workshop brought together researchers from multiple disciplines, including, but not limited to, mycobacteriology, molecular biology, immunology, gastroenterology, and veterinary medicine, etc., to discuss a potential infectious cause for Crohns disease. As the culmination of workshop deliberations and on-going NIAID research and efforts, in May 1999, the NIAID published a highly significant historical document – a comprehensive document setting forth an entirely new research agenda to place the search for an infectious cause for Crohns disease at the forefront of Crohn’s research, and to set forth the critical and rigorous research necessary to determine the relationship between Crohns disease and microbial infection, in particular infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP).

The NIAID’s historic “Research Recommendations” document has been reproduced in its entirety on this web site. Please read it on the page entitled NIAID Research Agenda. In mid 2002 NIAID funded the first significant research in the United States, targeting MAP as a cause of Crohns disease.  At this same time National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) also stepped to the plate to fund Crohns disease/MAP research.

For further information on NIH efforts, visit PARA’s Report – “PARA’s Efforts Benefits Crohn’s Sufferers.”PARA commends the NIH for significant efforts to determine the cause of Crohns disease.

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Can Viagra Help Crohns Disease

05.14.09

While well known for its effect on blood flow, until now Viagra has not been used to boost circulation in the intestine. That could change with the finding that Viagra can help treat Crohns disease. People with the long-term, inflammatory condition develop holes and ulcers in the intestine.

A team from University College London wondered whether an overactive immune reaction was the problem.The team carried out biopsies on six Crohns disease patients and nine healthy volunteers. The operation triggered an acute immune response in the healthy people, producing white blood cells to heal damage caused by the removal of cells. But the Crohn’s patients responded by producing far lower amounts of white blood cells. The researchers used Viagra to boost blood flow to the intestine in the patients with Crohns disease, thus increasing the flow of white cells to the damaged area.

Researchers in the U.K. have a new theory to explain the cause of Crohns disease, and they say medications like the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra may prove useful for treating the bowel disorder if they are right.In Crohns disease, chronic inflammation causes ulcers within the digestive tract that can lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, and rectal bleeding.The most widely accepted theory is that an overactive immune system causes the damaging inflammation.

But researchers from the University College London say the opposite appears to be true.They believe a weaker-than-normal immune response triggers the bowel inflammation that leads to Crohns disease. The researchers tested this theory by treating 10 Crohn’s patients with 50 milligrams of Viagra after injecting them with the killed gut bacteria. They found that blood flow to the infected area improved.

“Increasing blood flow is an important part of the inflammatory response, and that is why this drug may work,” Segal says. “But we don’t yet know if this will give rise to successful treatment. We need to study this further to find out.” The disease usually affects the small intestine and one in every thousand people in the UK is afflicted with this miserable complaint.

But now scientists believe they have found the cause of Crohns disease, and they think it could be treated with Viagra.The team of researchers from University College London say they believe the cause is the opposite of what has been supposed and is triggered by a weak immune system, rather than an overactive one where cells are attacked by the body’s own immune system.

Crohn’s was previously thought to be an auto-immune disease and was treated with immuno-suppressant drugs. But the researchers led by Anthony Segal and colleagues have discovered that people with Crohn’s have a weak and unresponsive immune system which does not repair damage easily. They say the flow of blood to damaged cells is substantially reduced, and a drug such as Viagra, best known for its effects on erectile dysfunction, could help the healing process as it stimulates blood flow.

Since it was identified in the 1920s there have been many theories as to the cause of Crohn’s and it was often compared with tuberculosis, but attempts to find an infectious agent have failed.
The research team compared the immune system response of Crohn’s patients and healthy individuals to minor injuries, such as skin abrasions and discovered a difference in the number of white blood cells called neutrophils produced by the body to heal the damage in the bowel and on the surface of the skin.

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