News
How triclosan, likely found in toothpaste, is triggered to harm the gut
An international team of researchers led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Hong Kong Baptist University identified the bacteria, and even specific enzymes, that trigger triclosan’s harmful effects. Moreover, studies in mice suggest these bacterial enzymes can be blocked from driving intestinal damage. The findings were published in Nature […]
Research
Research links gut fungi to intestinal inflammation in Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can lead to chronic inflammation of the entire digestive tract. Symptoms include diarrhea, pain and cramping, fatigue, weight loss and more. There is no cure for Crohn’s disease, but patients can alleviate symptoms with current treatment options. New treatment options for Crohn’s disease patients […]
News
People with IBD have more microplastics in their feces
Microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length — are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent estimates, people consume tens of thousands of these particles each year, with unknown health consequences. The prevalence of IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is rising globally. Characterized […]
News
Global spread of autoimmune disease blamed on western diet
By Robin McKie More and more people around the world are suffering because their immune systems can no longer tell the difference between healthy cells and invading micro-organisms. Disease defences that once protected them are instead attacking their tissue and organs. Major international research efforts are being made to fight this trend – including an initiative at […]
Research
First structure of human protein complex with ‘licence to kill’
Using the Australian Synchrotron, the team solved the structure of the human cell death proteins MLKL and RIPK3 bound to each other, as well as human RIPK3 alone. When RIPK3 activates MLKL, it triggers a type of inflammatory cell death called necroptosis that kills the cell and alerts the immune system that it is under attack. However, […]
Research
COVID-19 vaccine and IBD
By Associate Professor Britt Christensen Key Messages People with IBD are unlikely to be at increased risk of being infected with COVID-19 or developing serious health issues if they are infected with the virus. People using strong corticosteroids to manage Crohn’s or colitis are more likely to have health complications if they are infected with […]
Blog
How to best support an exercise routine with IBD
By Claudia Cramer There are also other challenges with having IBD which may be more invisible to the outside eye, and that is the mental toll of having a chronic disease. Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are more common in people with UC and Crohn’s disease than the normal population. This makes […]
News
Study links stress to Crohn’s disease flare-ups
Researchers using mouse models found that stress hormones suppressed the innate immune system that normally protects the gut from invasive Enterobacteriaceae, a group of bacteria including E. coli which has been linked to Crohn’s disease. Key to innate immunity is the protective barrier of epithelial cells in the gut, which rely on molecular signals from immune cells to […]
News
Personalised treatments for ulcerative colitis remission
Although defining what constitutes a normal or healthy microbiota remains a current challenge in the field, scientists have suggested that the human-gut microbiota relationship is in a stable state of homeostasis that when perturbed moves towards another pre-disease or disease stable state that is more susceptible to the development of chronic diseases. Such observations resemble the behavior of […]
Blog
Are there certain foods to avoid with ulcerative colitis?
By Kathryn Watson and Natasha Lavender The minute you’ve been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, you may find yourself swamped with information about foods you should avoid and how to eat the “right” things to keep your symptoms in check. It’s true that anyone with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has different triggers that can make the condition feel so much […]
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