IBS tagged posts

Fungus-fighting Protein could help Overcome Severe Autoimmune disease and Cancer

A 3D printed stencil of the DECTIN-1 protein. Photo: Tracey Nearmy/ANU
A 3D printed stencil of the DECTIN-1 protein. Photo: Tracey Nearmy/ANU

A protein in the immune system programmed to protect the body from fungal infections is also responsible for exacerbating the severity of certain autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema and other chronic disorders, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) has found.

The discovery could pave the way for new and more effective drugs, without the nasty side effects of existing treatments. In addition to helping to manage severe autoimmune conditions, the breakthrough could also help treat all types of cancer. The work has been published in Science Advances.

The scientists have discovered a previously unknown function of the protein, known as DECTIN-1, w...

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Treating Gut Pain via a Nobel Prize-Winning Receptor

Targeting a receptor responsible for our sense of touch and temperature, which researchers have now found to be present in our colon, could provide a new avenue for treating chronic pain associated with gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome.

A team examining the colon, led by Professor Hongzhen Hu at Washington University and Professor Nick Spencer at Flinders University, identified the presence of Piezo2, the subject of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, now known to be responsible for sensing light touch on our skin.

“In discovering that this receptor is also in our gut, there’s the potential that selectively targeting these channels could be used for long-term silencing of pain sensations from internal organs, without the need for frequent c...

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Scientists reveal mechanism that causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome are not always taken seriously by doctors, says Professor Guy Boeckxstaens. | © Shutterstock

KU Leuven researchers have identified the biological mechanism that explains why some people experience abdominal pain when they eat certain foods. The finding paves the way for more efficient treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and other food intolerances. The study, carried out in mice and humans, was published in Nature.

Up to 20% of the world’s population suffers from the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes stomach pain or severe discomfort after eating. This affects their quality of life...

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Giant Spider provides promise of Pain Relief for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Two pain blocking peptides were found in the venom from the Venezuelan Pinkfoot Goliath tarantula. Molecules from the venom of one of the world’s largest spiders could help University of Queensland-led researchers tailor pain blockers for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Researchers screened 28 spiders, with the venom of the Venezuelan Pinkfoot Goliath tarantula — which has a leg-span of up to 30 centimetres — showing the most promise.

The team led by Professor Richard Lewis from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience in collaboration with Flinders University’s Professor Stuart Brierley and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute hopes to find effective pain relief for chronic intestinal pain.

“All pains are complex but gut pain is particularly ...

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