Inflammatory Bowel Diseases study

Researchers part-funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Wellcome Trust have identified how particular parts of the intestinal immune system and the bacteria in the gut can interact to alter an individual's risk of developing Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Results are published online today in Immunity . Using mice, the team led by Professor Graham Lord at King's College London, has shown that a protein called T-bet plays a leading role in maintaining the delicate balance between a healthy immune system and healthy gut bacteria. If researchers can find out how this protein affects inflammation in the intestine, the discovery could eventually pave the way for new ways of treating intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases can experience debilitating symptoms and serious complications such as cancer. Patients may require hospitalisation and surgery, and many need to take medication throughout their life to keep their condition under control. Although the causes of IBD remain unknown, most research has pointed to a problem within the intestinal immune system.