© vaakim / FotoliaCrohn's disease is a debilitating inflammatory bowel disease, which causes severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue.
A Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine-led team of international researchers has for the first time identified a fungus as a key factor in the development of Crohn's disease. The researchers also
linked a new bacterium to the previous bacteria associated with Crohn's. The groundbreaking findings, published on September 20th in
mBio, could lead to potential new treatments and ultimately, cures for the debilitating inflammatory bowel disease, which causes severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue.
"We already know that bacteria, in
addition to genetic and dietary factors, play a major role in causing Crohn's disease," said the study's senior and corresponding author, Mahmoud A Ghannoum, PhD, professor and director of the Center for Medical Mycology at Case Western Reserve and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center "Essentially, patients with Crohn's have
abnormal immune responses to these bacteria, which inhabit the intestines of all people. While most researchers focus their investigations on these bacteria, few have examined the role of fungi, which are also present in everyone's intestines. Our study adds significant new information to understanding why some people develop Crohn's disease. Equally important, it can result in a new generation of treatments, including medications and
probiotics, which hold the potential for making qualitative and quantitative differences in the lives of people suffering from Crohn's."
Comment: Read more about the ways that hidden fungal infections contribute to illnesses and how best to combat them:
- Could a hidden fungal overgrowth be making you ill?
- Overlooked and Undetected Infections - From Fungus!
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