In a new study, researchers discovered that blocking a protein called IL1α that controls inflammation in the gut could decrease the severity of Crohn’s disease
The anti-inflammatory effects of the biological therapies used to neutralize protein IL1α were similar to those of steroids, which represent what is generally considered the gold standard of treatment for these patients.
In addition, the researchers found that the effect of anti-IL1α treatment was controlled by changing the composition and function of the gut microbiome.
The research was done by a team at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
This is one of the first studies that link the effect of a specific cytokine, such as IL1, to the gut microbiome.
Furthermore, the study provides the rationale for performing the first clinical study blocking interleukin-1 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
IBD, which refers to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects more than three million adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This estimate does not include children who may also have IBD. Most people with IBD are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s, according to the CDC.
These ailments are chronic, relapsing, inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal system characterized by severe pain, diarrhea, bleeding and sometimes intestinal complications requiring surgery.
To date, there is no cure for these devastating diseases, and available therapies are effective in only about half of IBD patients.
Therefore, there is a great need for developing new biological therapies, such as anti-IL1 monoclonal antibodies.
The lead author of the study is Fabio Cominelli, professor of medicine and pathology at Case Western Reserve University.
The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
