Researchers to test stem cells to treat Crohn's
BY DELTHIA RICKS | delthia.ricks@
June 18, 2008
Stem cells may force Crohn's disease into retreat, say Long Island
medical investigators who are embarking on a pioneering analysis that
targets patients who've failed other therapies.
Cases of Crohn's disease have skyrocketed since World War II, jumping
tenfold in the United States and raising questions about the
disease's genetics and demography. It is one of two disorders - the
other is ulcerative colitis - that are known as inflammatory bowel
diseases. Before the 20th century there was no recorded evidence of
either.
Dr. Robert Richards, director of clinical research in the
gastroenterology division at Stony Brook University Medical Center,
is embarking on a clinical study involving the infusion of adult stem
cells, which he and other researchers theorize may force the
condition into retreat. His analysis is part of a multicenter trial
nationwide, focusing on patients with moderate to severe forms of the
disease.
Patients had "basically tried all of the medications that are out
there for Crohn's and have not done well or have become intolerant to
[standard] treatment," Richards said.
The stem cells are drawn from the bone marrow of adult donors and
processed into an infusible preparation. Because stem cells are
essentially blank slates capable of morphing into any kind of cell,
researchers believe that when infused into the intestinal tract, they
will help remodel cells there and relieve symptoms.
Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can occur anywhere along the
tract from the mouth to the anus. Symptoms may wax and wane but the
inflammation can lead to scarring, which dramatically disrupts
intestinal function. Some people are racked with painful diarrhea
tinged with blood.
Current therapies include anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.
Additional treatments include those that quell the activity of
certain parts of the immune system. Among the theories explaining the
cause of Crohn's is that it is triggered by turncoat cells, so that
the body is at war with itself.
Two weeks ago the Food and Drug Administration announced an
investigation into three drugs that tamp down the immune system,
following 30 reports of children and young adults who developed
cancer.
Edda Ramsdell, executive director of Long Island's division of the
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, said the stem cell
research could provide a new avenue. "This is exciting but there
probably isn't a single answer. People react differently to
treatments," she said.
Dr. R. Balfour Sartor of the University of North Carolina, scientific
adviser to the foundation, said it's always important to explore new
therapies, including stem cells. "I am frustrated by the lack of
current medical and even surgical cures of this disease," said
Sartor, who will speak next month on Long Island about his new
dietary theory.
Richards' stem cell study will run for a year. Patients will range
between 18 and 70.
CROHN'S DISEASE EXPLAINED
Crohn's tends to run in families, and susceptibility genes have been
identified. People of Ashkenazi Jewish descent have a higher
incidence compared with other ethnic groups. The disorder is not
especially prevalent among Sephardic Jews.
First described in 1930 by Dr. Burrill Crohn of Mt. Sinai Hospital in
Manhattan. Before the 20th century there was no recorded evidence of
Crohn's or ulcerative colitis, both inflammatory bowel diseases.
Generally, colitis is viewed as serious, but not as devastating as
Crohn's.
Crohn's is diagnosed more often in industrialized countries where
sugar consumption is very high, and less so in underdeveloped
countries, though scientists note an increase worldwide. Some
scientists think excessive sugar consumption may affect the
genetically susceptible to Crohn's by altering the balance of
bacteria that inhabit the intestinal tract.
Long Island is disproportionately affected by people with Crohn's
disease, based on genetics and demographics. The Crohn's and Colitis
Foundation of America estimates 30,000 Long Islanders have Crohn's
disease, or ulcerative colitis. Nationwide, more than 1 million
people have an inflammatory bowel disease.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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