A major cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been discovered which could be treated with existing drugs.

The breakthrough was described as a “massive step forwards” by researchers.

IBD is the umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and such conditions are becoming more prevalent.

As recently as 2022, more than 500,000 people in the UK were living with IBD – almost double the previous 300,000 estimate.

But despite the diseases being more common, existing treatments do not work in every patient and attempts to develop new drugs often fail because of a lack of understanding over what causes IBD.

The breakthrough came as researchers discovered a part of DNA only active in some immune cells which cause inflammation in bowels.

There are no drugs that specifically block this.

ChatGPT tells users Labour has already won the election

Boeing’s Starliner finally blasts off to International Space Station

Paris Hilton and CNN among accounts targeted in TikTok cyber attack

However, ones which are already prescribed for other non-inflammatory conditions were predicted to be effective.

In tests, experts at the Francis Crick Institute along with UCL and Imperial College London found the medication decreased inflammation in the immune cells and also in gut samples from IBD patients.

But there are side effects with this medication in other organs – and the researchers are now trying to work out how to deliver it directly to immune cells.

Read more:
Louise Thompson reveals stoma bag after months of health problems
Crohn’s sufferer: ‘I’ve been asked to show my colostomy bag to prove my condition’

IBD sufferers welcome development

Lauren Golightly was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2018 after suffering stomach cramps, blood in her stools and irregular bowel habits.

The 27-year-old woman said: “Crohn’s has had a huge impact on my life. I’ve had a rocky road since diagnosis, with many hospital admissions, several different medications and even surgery to have a temporary stoma bag.

“One of the hardest things about having Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is the uncertainty around it.”

She added: “I still experience flare-ups and can still spend quite a bit of time in hospital. Learning about this research is so exciting and encouraging.

“I am hopeful this could potentially make a difference for myself and so many other hundreds of thousands of people living with IBD.”

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

‘We’ve discovered a pathway’

James Lee, from the Francis Crick Institute and consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital and UCL, said: “Using genetics as a starting point, we’ve uncovered a pathway that appears to play a major role in IBD and other inflammatory diseases.

“Excitingly, we’ve shown that this can be targeted therapeutically, and we’re now working on how to ensure this approach is safe and effective for treating people in the future.”

Christina Stankey, PhD student at the Francis Crick Institute, and co-first author, said: “IBD and other autoimmune conditions are really complex, with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors, so to find one of the central pathways, and show how this can be switched off with an existing drug, is a massive step forwards.”

The research was published in Nature.

Related posts:

Virgin Galactic postpones test flight due to safety concerns NASA launches first probe to head to asteroid ‘swarm’, exploring origins of solar system Facebook plans to hire 10,000 people in Europe to build its metaverse What is the Online Safety Bill and why are some people worried about it? Watchdog calls for review into government use of private messaging apps ‘Actually not good’, says Musk as SpaceX booster bursts into flames on launchpad ‘Complete screw-up’: Shapps explains why he shared image which edited out Boris Johnson Urgent action over a once wonder material will cause chaotic start to academic year Microplastics in clouds may be contributing to climate change, researchers warn How new tech is helping this hospital trust detect cancer sooner Japan hails ‘pinpoint’ moon landing – but spacecraft loses power after less than three hours Can you beat a lie detector? UK police increasingly using polygraph tests – here’s how people try to cheat