There Ulcerative colitis and the Crohn’s disease were the subject of a study by a research team of the Montreal Heart Institute and the Université de Montréal which showed that i genes present in specific intestinal cells protect against the development of inflammatory bowel diseasethere. Self
Research results revealed that more than a dozen of these genes, which contribute to the development of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, help fight viral and bacterial infections.
The results of the study have been published in the scientific journal Genome Medicine.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease: Here’s what the new research has revealed
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis known as inflammatory bowel disease are characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive system.
The research team looked at 145 genes associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) risk in human digestive tract cells, called intestinal epithelial cells, and found that many of these genes are significant in helping these cells detect bacteria or virus and set the appropriate defensive response to control such infections.
Based on this information, the researchers identified the genes that make people more likely to develop chronic bowel inflammation, characteristic of IBD when interrupted by genetic variants: “Most of the current medical therapies used to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis target the functions of the cells of the immune system “, said Dr. John D. Rioux, MHI researcher, professor of medicine at l‘UdeM And Canada Research Chair in Genetics and Genomic Medicine.
“This study proves the importance of developing therapeutic approaches aimed at strengthening the protective functions of the digestive system for the benefit of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases “, continued the scientist.
More than 270,000 people suffer from IBD in Canada, and nearly 10,000 new cases appear each year, with an estimated annual economic cost of $ 2.6 billion. IBD is characterized by the body’s immune system attacking parts of the digestive system. The exact causes of these diseases are still unknown and there is currently no cure.
Previous genetic studies had already identified some differences in the genetic code associated with the development of IBD, but for most of them, no true gene causing the disease was found.
“The challenge was how to use this genetic information to better understand the biological pathways leading to IBD“, he has declared Jessy Carol Ntunzwenimana, researcher at the Rioux Lab and co-author of the study. His research team therefore had to develop a new approach to identify which genes might be involved in IBD and reveal their biological functions.
“The results of this study provide an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how the body’s interactions with gut flora can predispose an individual to develop IBD.“, he has declared Kate Lee, vice president responsible for the research and patient program at Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.
“This is a great example of how genomics research can advance our understanding of health and disease, with a potential impact on patients who will be treated in the future,” he concluded Stéphanie Lord-Fontaine, vice president, scientific affairs of Génome Québec.
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