Researchers to test stem cells to treat Crohn's

Newsday ^ | 06.17.08 | DELTHIA RICKS

[Coleus]

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. "These are not embryonic stem cells and therefore are not involved with the ethics issues" that have colored the stem cell debate, Richards said.

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.

[heartwood]

From Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology:

Is there a role for helminths in the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease? Robert W Summers*, David E Elliott and Joel V Weinstock

"Helminth parasites mostly have been eliminated in industrialized parts of the world, where the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the highest. The authors propose that helminths protect the bowel by downregulating inflammatory responses. Evidence for the immune regulatory effect of helminths in animal models of colitis and in human IBD is discussed."

A round of pinworms for the house!