Suspicion falls on milk

Researchers at The University of Liverpool have got one step closer to linking Crohn's disease to milk consumption.

The team found that a bacterium called Mycobacterium paratuberculosis releases a molecule that prevents a type of white blood cell from killing E.coli bacteria found in the body. E.coli is known to be present within Crohn’s disease tissue in increased numbers.

It is thought that the Mycobacteria make their way into the body’s system via cows’ milk and other dairy products. In cattle it can cause an illness called Johne's disease - a wasting, diarrhoeal condition. Until now, however, it has been unclear how this bacterium could trigger intestinal inflammation in humans.

The Daily Mail has further details, including a comment from the dairy industry:

The Dairy Council, which speaks for milk producers, said a number of studies had failed to show a causal link between MAP in milk and Crohn's.

Its director, Dr Judith Bryans, said: "While the findings of the study are interesting, it is important to stress that not all Crohn's patients have MAP in their intestines.

"This would suggest that there are additional factors which may cause Crohn's disease."

She added: "There is no need for anyone to alter their consumption of milk based on current scientific knowledge."

Wouldn't it be nice if most Crohn's was found to be caused by MAP in milk, and that it could be cured with a brief cause of antibiotics. I am certain we'll be hearing more on this subject during 2008.

Stem cells to reboot Crohn's?

There's some interesting research being done at the University of Nottingham into using stem cell therapy to "cure" Crohn's disease. Their trial hasn't started yet, but it is intriguing.

Crohn's sufferers are genetically predisposed to the disease, which is first triggered in their body when they come into contact with a particular environmental stimulus. Once this happens, the immune system responds — leading to symptoms that blight the lives of sufferers.

Stem cells hold a potential solution to this problem. As the body's 'master' cells, which can be directed to form any type of tissue, they will be extracted from patients and then re-established in their bone marrow to 're-boot' the immune system, taking it back to a state before Crohn's symptoms were triggered.

There is also a brief mention of their other current investigation into the use of hookworms to control mild Crohn's disease, but unfortunately they don't say whether the trial is going well.