Biomed Radio - Washington University School Of Medicine In St. Louis

A newly discovered link between bacteria and immune cells may be a significant contributor to inflammatory bowel disease, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. SCIENTISTS AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN ST. LOUIS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HAVE FOUND A NEW WAY THAT BACTERIA CAN INTERACT WITH A HOST’S IMMUNE CELLS. AND THE NEWLY DISCOVERED CONNECTION MAY BE A KEY FACTOR IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE. JIM DRYDEN REPORTS… THE STUDY, IN MICE THAT DEVELOP A CONDITION SIMILAR TO VERY EARLY ONSET INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE, OR IBD, HIGHLIGHTS A PROTEIN THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL TARGET FOR NEW IBD TREATMENTS. THE RESEARCHERS KNEW THAT A SPECIFIC BACTERIUM, CALLED B THETA, WAS VERY GOOD AT TRIGGERING THE INFLAMMATION. BUT THE STUDY’S FIRST AUTHOR, CHRISTINA AHN-HICKEY, SAYS THEY DIDN’T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE B THETA SETTLED TO CAUSE THE PROBLEMS. SO FINDING THAT ANSWER WAS THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS. (act) :16 o/c that question The broad idea