Archive for inflammatory bowel disease
A journey through the intestine during colitis, cell by cell
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), causing devastating abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, and rectal bleeding, is hard to control with current treatments. Children often experience malnutrition and impaired growth. To get a better handle on IBD, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital decided to eavesdrop on happenings in the colon. In the first ... Read More about A journey through the intestine during colitis, cell by cell
Calm through the storm: Connor’s ulcerative colitis journey
When you meet Connor today, he’s a confident 13-year-old who is incredibly laid back when he speaks about his complex medical condition. This school year, he plans on playing basketball and running track. “I like hanging out with my friends and traveling — now I can do all these things without being in pain.” However, ... Read More about Calm through the storm: Connor’s ulcerative colitis journey
From bench to bedside: A promising option for unremitting ulcerative colitis
Many existing treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, like Remicade® and Humira®, work by blocking inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukins IL-12 and IL-23, which are over-produced in autoimmune disease. But few patients with ulcerative colitis get complete relief from these drugs. A small but promising open-label clinical trial, published recently in ... Read More about From bench to bedside: A promising option for unremitting ulcerative colitis
Shaping our intestinal microbiome: What makes certain microbes more ‘fit’?
We now know the microbes that live in our intestines — often called our microbiome — influence our health in many ways. The balance among competing microbial species is believed to contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), immune disorders, food allergy, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and more. The sugars in our diets, in turn, influence that ... Read More about Shaping our intestinal microbiome: What makes certain microbes more ‘fit’?
IBD surgery gives Ben a new taste for life (and hamburgers)
Ben Irland, 13, has been enjoying a lot of hamburgers lately. It’s an exciting development for him, since until recently meat — as well as most other foods — caused him pain. That’s because Ben has been dealing with the effects of Crohn’s disease, one form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for the past decade. ... Read More about IBD surgery gives Ben a new taste for life (and hamburgers)
Yoga program helps children and teens better manage IBD and stress
In a dimly lit room, about a half dozen teens stand quietly, each trying to balance on one leg. The teacher demonstrates, her other leg bent and knee pointing to the side, forming a flag shape. This could be a typical yoga class being held just about anywhere in the United States. But the room ... Read More about Yoga program helps children and teens better manage IBD and stress
Identifying specific markers in blood may improve diagnosis of IBD in children
New research may lead to improved methods to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children. This could be especially beneficial for those experiencing malnutrition and impaired growth as a result of this condition, since it could shorten their wait time to access needed treatments. Identifying a common gene in blood and colon tissue samples Scientists from Boston ... Read More about Identifying specific markers in blood may improve diagnosis of IBD in children
Gavin: My Crohn’s disease story
When I was 10 years old, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. For a few months at the end of fourth grade, I didn’t feel well on and off. I was having stomach pains and diarrhea a couple times a week. In June I went to see my doctor and she thought I was developing ... Read More about Gavin: My Crohn’s disease story
Could fecal transplants heal Crohn’s and colitis in children? Two trials are set to find out
Could an exciting potential treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) be found in the gastrointestinal tract itself? That’s the theory behind a pair of new studies by Stacy A. Kahn, MD, which will investigate the potential role of fecal microbial transplant (FMT) in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in children. In IBD, the ... Read More about Could fecal transplants heal Crohn’s and colitis in children? Two trials are set to find out