An experimental drug developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine has shown remarkable potential in alleviating symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
This groundbreaking research, conducted on mice and lab-grown human colon “organoids,” brings renewed hope to the millions of individuals afflicted by IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Targeting a Key Enzyme
The experimental drug, administered orally, targets an overproduced gut enzyme implicated in IBD pathogenesis.
This gut enzyme, gastrointestinal glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), is found in excessive quantities in both IBD patients and animal models.
The drug’s mechanism of action involves inhibiting this enzyme, curbing the chronic inflammation characterizing IBD.
A Growing Need for Novel Therapies
IBD is an autoimmune disorder characterized by an overactive immune response that mistakenly attacks healthy gut tissue.
This chronic inflammation leads to debilitating symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and rectal bleeding.
Current treatment approaches primarily rely on anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, dietary and lifestyle modifications, or surgical interventions.
However, nearly 40% of IBD patients do not respond adequately to these treatments, highlighting the urgent need for innovative therapies.
The experimental drug, (S)-IBD3540, is designed to be gut-restricted, ensuring minimal systemic exposure when administered orally.
This specificity allows the drug to target gastrointestinal GCPII while minimizing potential side effects throughout the rest of the body.
Promising Results in Pre-Clinical Models
Pre-clinical studies involving mouse models of colitis demonstrated that (S)-IBD3540 effectively inhibited around 75% of colon GCPII activity.
Consequently, treated animals exhibited improved stool consistency, reduced rectal bleeding, and decreased colon inflammation, all without apparent adverse effects.
The drug also demonstrated protective effects in human colon organoid models derived from patient biopsy tissues.
Conclusion: Paving the Way for Clinical Trials
This research marks a significant milestone in IBD treatment. By successfully targeting GCPII enzymatic activity, which is highly upregulated in IBD patients, (S)-IBD3540 has demonstrated remarkable therapeutic potential in pre-clinical models.
The next step involves further pre-clinical studies to pave the way for clinical trials, offering hope to IBD patients who have long awaited a more effective and well-tolerated treatment option.
If you care about inflammation, please read studies about the big cause of inflammation in common bowel disease, and vitamin B may help fight COVID-19 and reduce inflammation.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about new way to halt excessive inflammation, and results showing foods that could cause inflammation.
The research findings can be found in Science Translational Medicine.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
