Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a debilitating condition with symptoms like pain, cramps, weight loss, tiredness and many others. Meanwhile colon cancer is one of the most notorious cancerous killers. But now scientists at the University of Queensland have identified five strains of gut bacteria that could one day be used to suppress inappropriate gut inflammation and debilitating IBD symptoms.
IBD has several different forms and is a debilitating condition, which is difficult to treat and usually returns even after a successful treatment. Image credit: WolfpackBME via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
IBD is a chronic condition, which persists for years with relapsing gut inflammation. It can be treated, but it is still a debilitating issue to have. IBD is believed to be caused by an abnormal gut bacterial composition, which evokes an immune response that results in inflammation.
However, scientists believe that this condition could be solved by bacteria – in this research they identified and isolated five strains of gut bacteria that were able to suppress inflammation in blood and tissue samples from IBD patients. One of those strains even produced anti-inflammatory substances that were able to reduce disease severity in a pre-clinical model.
Usually IBD is treated with strong drugs that suppress the immune system. It is the immune system that launches inflammation, which is why such treatments are used. Obviously, they have severe side effects and only work for about half of IBD patients. Obviously, lifestyle choices, such as having a diet rich in fibre and low in refined sugar, ultra-processed food, and processed meat, can reduce the risk of IBD as well as bowel cancer. But bacteria could be used to reduce symptoms and potentially cure IBD in some patients.
Scientists found that good bacterial strains managed to inhibit the pro-inflammatory enzyme NF-kB by about half. Rabina Giri, one of the authors of the study, said: “Most importantly, this was enough to suppress inflammation but did not cause any side effects in animal models. Our findings could pave the way for the development of therapies for IBD that are based on the natural substances produced by ‘good’ gut bacteria which may prove to be safer than existing drugs.”
IBD is quite a common disease – 3 million Americans, more than 100,000 Australians live with IBD. IBD is very common in other developed countries as well and in other regions data is usually insufficient. IBD is a debilitating condition. Colorectal cancer is also rather more common than we’d like it to be. Early detection and treatment are associated with the best outcomes, but prevention is key.
And it seems like preventing colorectal cancer as well as IBD is a task for bacteria. Hopefully, this research can advance quickly and new treatments are on the horizon.
Source: University of Queensland