‘Significant step forward’ in fight against incurable bowel disease

Scientists have discovered a key gene that could increase the understanding of incurable bowel disorders and help to identify a cause of these lifelong conditions.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which includes conditions such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, affects around 300,000 people in the UK. There is currently no cure for the conditions and the causes are unknown.

The research team from the University of Edinburgh, found that the function of the gene (MDR1) which extracts toxins from the gut and removes harmful substances from intestinal cells, was lower in people with inflamed IBD than in those who were symptom-free.

During the study, it was found that mice without the MDR1 gene had damaged mitochondria, which play a vital part in the health of cells and energy generation. This dysfunction then went on to result in colitis, a significant feature of IBD.

Lead author, Dr Gwo-Tzer Ho, said “IBD has a serious impact on quality of life, with 6,000 new cases diagnosed per year in the UK.

“We have shown that MDR1 and mitochondrial function are important jigsaw pieces in the complex causes of IBD.

“Our studies highlight the importance of shielding the mitochondria from damage. This will open new approaches to drug targets that focus on the mitochondria to better design treatments for patients.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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