tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218996202009-07-05T23:07:10.179+08:00Advances in the treatment of Crohn's DiseaseJamesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-10070704536921805902009-07-05T22:57:00.006+08:002009-07-05T23:07:10.186+08:00

UPI summarises a report in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition that states that 60% of children with Crohn's will enter remission if they take a special nutrient mixture. This is as effective as steroids, and much preferable to the side-effects of long-term steroid use. However, it's a big commitment for the children:Maintaining remission may require receiving 25 percent-50

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-54195413587719727462009-06-30T11:11:00.005+08:002009-06-30T11:28:30.891+08:00

The Guardian reports that initial results from the first ever controlled stem cell trial (blogged previously in 2007, before the trial started) are very encouraging, with the leader of the trial expressing an expectation that half of the subjects will be cured.Given the potentially fatal side-effects of the treatment it will only be an option for those most severely afflicted:The stem cell

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-6551096792930382142009-06-23T22:54:00.002+08:002009-06-23T23:06:32.657+08:00

In October last year I noted a report that Infliximab worked better than Azathioprine, and their combination worked better than Azathioprine alone. A new report in Forbes about a larger, lengthier study confirms the earlier report, and finds that the combination of drugs is significantly more effective than either alone.After 50 weeks, 72.2 percent of patients who'd received the infliximab/

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-80409659829449871212009-06-14T14:42:00.003+08:002009-06-14T15:00:32.547+08:00

Bearing in mind that "the plural of anecdote is not data", CBS has a report on a couple of Crohn's patients who attribute their reduced symptoms to self-administered hookworms. As it is not an approved therapy in the US it is quite an adventure to obtain.Aglietti, who calls himself a gastrointestinal ecologist, takes clients across the border where he gives them a band aid to put on their arm.On

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-88924818256327503022009-03-15T18:49:00.003+09:002009-03-15T19:16:20.218+09:00

There hasn't been much Crohn's news for the past few months, but I expect it to pick up around conference time. In the meantime The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has released information about a new technique for finding genes associated with a given disease. The researchers have tested this in the area of Crohn's and already found new genes related to the disease.In a complex disorder such

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-6006622189106758182008-11-25T23:59:00.007+09:002008-11-30T00:19:14.717+09:00

I've created a simple online tool, the MAB Decoder (see the top right of this page) to decode the generic name of any monoclonal antibody. For example, type in the common Crohn's medication infliximab to find from which animal species it is derived, and what part of the body it acts upon. This can be important because human-sourced antibodies are often better tolerated than those from other

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-77250813731906862982008-10-28T23:27:00.002+09:002008-11-08T20:04:49.545+09:00

Medscape [direct link requires subscription] has released a new summary of the latest findings in biologic therapy for Crohn's disease. Their previous summary on recent anti-TNF research was in June. Although that's still well worth reading, there have been much activity in this area since then. This article discusses combination therapies, first-line therapy (i.e. should biologics be used

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-67713296716407151862008-10-26T14:09:00.004+09:002008-10-26T14:27:51.152+09:00

According to the BBC French researchers suspect that a low level of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii bacteria in the intestine could be the cause of Crohn's disease.The researchers, from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, had already shown that patients with Crohn's disease have a marked deficiency in bacteria from the Clostridium leptum group.Their latest work shows that F.

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-54641166793732188242008-10-12T22:52:00.009+08:002008-10-12T23:20:47.993+08:00

The Associated Press reports on research that shows Infliximab (Remicade), used alone or in combination with Azathioprine (Imuran) is significantly more effective, and no less safe, than a treatment of just Azathioprine. Currently, doctors usually prescribe Azathioprine first, and only progress to Infliximab when that fails. This study indicates that Infliximab should be considered earlier. (Note

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-24466529012535043612008-10-12T16:14:00.003+08:002008-10-12T16:39:15.846+08:00

There have been plenty of anecdotal reports of people who have successfully controlled their Crohn's by following specific diets. The Daily Mail mentions the success of a thousand patient trial in a UK hospital. (...) At Addenbrooke's Hospital, gastroenterologist Professor John Hunter and his team identify foods that act as a 'trigger' for symptoms, eliminate them from a patient's diet and '

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-63271984528846653862008-08-24T17:56:00.006+08:002008-08-24T18:26:50.226+08:00

I've always been fond of the idea that Crohn's is caused by MAP, and that it will be easily cured by a short course of antibiotics. A comprehensive look into how this proposition stands today is made by the American Society for Microbiology in their report "Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis: Infrequent Human Pathogen or Public Health Threat?".One acknowledged potential microbial agent of CD is

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-32391416155477635932008-08-09T19:16:00.005+08:002008-10-28T23:35:20.414+09:00

The most recent successfully-introduced medications for the treatment of Crohn's disease, infliximab and adalimumab, have targeted tumor necrosis factor (TNF). However, they are ineffective for some people, and become ineffective in others over time. The Lancet(free registration required) reports some of the different directions that researchers have been examining for further biologic agents,

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-20904326054270055282008-07-26T18:50:00.003+08:002008-10-28T23:34:23.500+09:00

The Age reports that adalimumab (marketed as Humira) will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from next week. This means that Australian Crohn's patients will be able to purchase the drug for a nominal fee. Previously, the drug's high cost would have kept it out of reach of many people. Although the government is now picking up the tab, there is a net economic benefit to Australia.

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-24483897623084301372008-07-08T18:28:00.005+08:002008-07-08T18:50:30.520+08:00

New research featured in Nature Genetics [full article via subscription] has found many more genes which increase the likelihood of a person developing Crohn's. Each gene helps scientists understand the mechanism of Crohn's better, and offers the potential for new targets of therapies. The Boston Globe reports further:The genome research has helped produce a "fundamentally new concept" of Crohn's

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-35301582838117107982008-06-01T13:03:00.004+08:002008-10-28T23:35:20.415+09:00

Medscape (free subscription, or go via Google) has a great in-depth interview with David A. Schwartz, Director of the IBD Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, about the latest developments in anti-TNF medications for the treatment of Crohn's Disease. He manages to translate medical-journalese into language that non-medical professionals can understand. It includes important information

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-44506893557880670802008-05-24T22:15:00.003+08:002008-10-28T23:35:20.415+09:00

Medpage Today reports the preliminary results of a study which indicated that the common combination of infliximab plus methotrexate is no more effective than infliximab alone. The drugs have very different methods of operation, and are both effective in controlling the symptoms of Crohn's Disease in some people. Until now, it has been commonly believed that the effectiveness of infliximab is

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-47892588651467362008-05-18T22:25:00.004+08:002008-05-18T22:42:11.258+08:00

UPI have a very brief article that includes researchers definitively stating that Crohn's disease is "linked to low levels of a protein that helps bind the stomach lining". They go on:The scientists say that the stomach lining helps keep out bacteria that cause Crohn's, an inflammation that can involve any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. They found that patients with

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-2752687068775664142008-03-01T23:05:00.007+09:002008-10-28T23:35:20.416+09:00

A trial reported in The Lancet (full article by subscription) found that people treated by more aggressive medications earlier achieved better outcomes than those treated in the traditional manner. Combined immunosuppression was more effective than conventional management for induction of remission and reduction of corticosteroid use in patients who had been recently diagnosed with Crohn's

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-37334178755574535802008-02-23T14:42:00.005+09:002008-02-23T15:06:32.105+09:00

A few years ago it looked like antibiotics treating MAP would be effective in attacking the cause of Crohn's disease. Early trials had been very effective in producing and maintaining remission. However, not much was heard about later, larger trials. Giaconda, the company which now owns the rights to this therapy, have published a summary of the details so far.The results of a Phase II clinical

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-77905013046658154062008-02-10T23:08:00.000+09:002008-02-10T23:23:34.557+09:00

A report from the Royal Society of Chemistry describes a potential new treatment for Crohn's that has shown promise in mice. RNA interference, a recently developed method of gene therapy, was used to suppress a gene that causes inflammation in the intestine, thus reducing the related symptoms.RNA interference involves introducing into cells a double strand of RNA corresponding to the nucleic acid

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-82274634945361867552008-01-19T22:38:00.000+09:002008-10-28T23:32:18.176+09:00

Bloomberg.com reports that the Food and Drug Administration has approved Tysabri (Natalizumab) for treating Crohn's disease in some cases. Tysabri is already being used for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, but was briefly withdrawn after some serious side effects. European regulators refused to approve it for Crohn's disease. Boston.com has further information:European regulators recently

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-85116224793686789022007-12-13T14:15:00.000+09:002007-12-13T14:27:04.720+09:00

Researchers at The University of Liverpool have got one step closer to linking Crohn's disease to milk consumption. The team found that a bacterium called Mycobacterium paratuberculosis releases a molecule that prevents a type of white blood cell from killing E.coli bacteria found in the body. E.coli is known to be present within Crohn’s disease tissue in increased numbers.It is thought that the

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-59933286002175443292007-12-04T22:49:00.000+09:002007-12-04T23:02:29.373+09:00

There's some interesting research being done at the University of Nottingham into using stem cell therapy to "cure" Crohn's disease. Their trial hasn't started yet, but it is intriguing. Crohn's sufferers are genetically predisposed to the disease, which is first triggered in their body when they come into contact with a particular environmental stimulus. Once this happens, the immune system

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-59300071817504825852007-11-25T18:01:00.000+09:002007-11-25T18:08:36.306+09:00

Can-Fite(pdf) have stated that they believe their new biologic medication CF101 will be effective in improving the symptoms of Crohn's sufferers.Can-Fite reports that pre-clinical studies show that the A3 adenosine receptor, which is targeted by CF101, is over-expressed in bowel tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from patients with Crohn's disease. These findings are in line

Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21899620.post-65066039083454884862007-11-25T11:22:00.001+09:002008-08-24T17:53:55.689+08:00

Artist Tom Humberstone has created an engaging personal account of the Crohn's experience in his comic Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Crohn's Disease. It's a great resource to explain the effects of Crohn's to family and friends, instead of the dry list of medical symptoms from most medical sites.

Jamesnoreply@blogger.com