Higher Risk of Melanoma in IBD Patients

Gee great!! I'm just gonna die.. my God.  Melanoma was the cancer that killed my mother, making the % higher for me.  I didn't even read the article.  The title says enough.  Maybe one day i'll decide to scan my eyes over the words, but for now I don't feel like going there.  Click the link to go to the original article if you'd like to read it. 

IBD patients are at higher risk of melanoma, report researchers:

'via Blog this'

Researchers in #Edinburgh Seek to Identify #Biomarkers in #IBD Patients Using Advanced Techniques

I had no idea the rates of IBD in Scotland were that high.  It seems like researchers and scientists everywhere are looking for the cause and a cure for this horrible chronic illness, but no one has found either.  There are many suggested theories as to the cause of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis that involve the combination of environmental, immune system and bacterial factors effect the person/people that have genetic susceptibility.  We are in desperate need to determine the cause of IBD.  At least if the main cause is identified, scientific studies can be lead in the appropriate direction, with hopes that an effective cure would soon be developed.  
It's frustrating to read all this literature on the studies being done (I'm sort of obsessed with researching this disease). I believe that scientists all over the world are not just twiddling their thumbs in the lab.  I think there are some hard working, determined scientists all over the world, especially in countries that are seeing a growing population of people with this life changing disease, that are committed to finding the true & actual cause.  The frustration, that I'm sure a lot of  these people experience when they think they are on to something and feel confident in the results that were found, to just have those findings tossed in the trash because followup studies confirm something different.  Oh, and not to mention the millions of dollars in research costs that is spent to conduct these studies. 
I'd imagine this has happened thousands of times.  It wasn't just yesterday that they started researching IBD. 
I have hope though..Even although the cause has not been determined as of yet.  I know that someone, sometime soon, will find those golden results that everyone has been anxiously waiting for.  I pray that  God would take any discouragement that may fester in the minds of these people, who have dedicated their lives to helping people get well.  Let that passion to help people only increase and drive these brilliant people to find the answer.  I pray that God would lead these researchers to that answer that will result in millions and millions of people getting better and having the life that was intended for them =  HEALTH & COMPLETE WHOLENESS OF THE BODY!

Article Highlights

• "(IBD) – are common causes of chronic ill-health, especially in Scottish children, where the incidence of Crohn’s has increased by 500 per cent in the past 50 years."
• ".... Edin­burgh University will work with two international teams of clinicians and scientists in the £15 million programme, to help identify tell-tale signs in the blood or bowels of patients that point towards the two diseases and could help early diagnosis."
• "...... mole­cules or proteins – known as bio­markers – that are specifically associated with the development of bowel diseases, .... to track how the illnesses progress in patients over time. In this way, the team hopes to spot the most markers for predicting progression of the disease."
• "The scientists will use ­cutting-edge scientific techniques – including DNA, protein and microbiological analysis."
• ".... biomarkers could also make it easier to predict how serious a patient’s illness could become, .. predict their response to treatment,... clues about the possible causes of IBD, .....  pinpoint new targets for better treatments."
• "Scotland has among the ­highest rates of IBD in the world"

Scientists develop warning system for bowel disease

Picture: Getty

By LYNDSAY BUCKLAND
Published on 18/05/2013 00:00

Scottish researchers are ­moving closer to finding new ways of diagnosing and treating patients with debilitating bowel conditions.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – together known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – are common causes of chronic ill-health, especially in Scottish children, where the incidence of Crohn’s has increased by 500 per cent in the past 50 years.

Researchers in Edinburgh are now taking part in studies to identify early changes in the bowels and blood of patients which would lead to earlier dia­gnosis, better treatment and more information on the potential causes of the conditions.

Symptoms of IBD include stomach pain, weight loss, ­diarrhoea and extreme ­tiredness. Drugs can be used to treat the symptoms, but often patients require major surgery to relieve their suffering.

Now researchers from Edin­burgh University will work with two international teams of clinicians and scientists in the £15 million programme, to help identify tell-tale signs in the blood or bowels of patients that point towards the two diseases and could help early diagnosis.

They hope to identify mole­cules or proteins – known as bio­markers – that are specifically associated with the development of bowel diseases, and to track how the illnesses progress in patients over time. In this way, the team hopes to spot the most markers for predicting progression of the disease.

The scientists will use ­cutting-edge scientific techniques – including DNA, protein and microbiological analysis.

These biomarkers could also make it easier to predict how serious a patient’s illness could become, and to predict their response to treatment. As well as providing clues about the possible causes of IBD, the researchers hope to pinpoint new targets for better treatments.

Scotland has among the ­highest rates of IBD in the world, though the reasons behind this remain unclear.

It is thought environmental factors, such as diet or levels of vitamin D, may play a part in causing conditions which affect one in every 100 to 200 people.

Professor Jack Satsangi, professor of gastroenterology at Edinburgh University, said: “Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are now common causes of chronic ill-health throughout the world, and in Scotland incidences are increasing rapidly.

“The fact the EC has chosen to support two studies involving Scottish patients highlights the fact that the impact of diseases in this country is recognised to be high, and that current therapies are often not successful.”

Thousands of newly-diagnosed patients across Europe and North America are to be recruited for two research trials, which will be run by scientists and clinicians from the UK, Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Norway.

#GAPS DIET NATASHA CAMPBELL-McBRIDE DISCUSSES GAPS/IMMUNITY - GUT/BRAIN/BODY CONNECTION *EXCELLENT AUDIO*

I'm a HUGE fan of this woman, Natasha Campbell-McBride, the creator of the GAPS Diet - Gut and Psychology Syndrome/ Gut and Physiology Syndrome.  She is so smart and has helped so many people get their health back.  Essentially, Dr. Campbell-McBride and GAPS focuses on the health of our gut/digestive system.  The majority of our immune system is in our gut and is THE MOST important when looking at many diseases. Getting our gut flora balanced is necessary for healing an array of conditions.. Some conditions - Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Crohn's, ADHD, Schizophrenia, Depression  

In this audio, Dr. Mercola interviews Dr. Natasha on immunity and GAPS.  She explains why our digestive system, and the health of it, will have a direct effect on our overall health.  It's very easy to understand and the diet itself is not complicated either.  Listen to how logical her theory behind the connection between our gut and brain/body is.  It's almost common sense!  She also talks about fermentation and why our body needs fermented foods (not commercially fermented foods btw) to stay balanced to achieve healing of the body and to maintain health.  

I love her... Listen to her last words of wisdom!        THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN INCURABLE ILLNESS.            THERE IS NO DISEASE THAT THE BODY CANNOT HEAL.  SHE'S RIGHT ON THE MONEY! $$$$$$$MONEY$$$$$$$$

Fecal Transplantation Helps Kids w/ Ulcerative Colitis #UC study shows

Sounds promising from everything i've read and continue to read.  

• How do they get the fecal microbes into the person? According to the article, this is how it's done.  "To perform the transplant, a stool sample must be provided by a healthy adult, usually a family member or close friend. It is mixed with a saline solution and filtered to remove particles that could block the tube. It is given to the patient as an enema in a process that takes more than an hour." 

"Hey sheester, can you s*** in this cup please?"  How does one go about obtaining someones poop?  Hand them the bag with the sample cup and say "# 2 ..not 1."  If they look at you weird and they will, i'm certain.  Say "just do it, it's for a good cause"  

The ultimate probiotic: Unusual treatment helps kids with ulcerative colitis, study shows | MLive.com:

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Life can be miserable for a kid who has ulcerative colitis.

Bouts of severe diarrhea, cramping and pain can cause them to miss school or avoid social activities. Medications to treat the condition can cause severe complications. The disease can delay growth. Some kids eventually have to undergo surgery to remove their colon.

That is why an alternative, drug-free treatment is raising hope – even as it raises eyebrows among those unfamiliar with it.

At  Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a pediatric gastroenterologist is getting good results for patients using fecal transplants. Stool from a healthy donor – often a parent - is given to the patient through an enema in an attempt to restore healthy bacteria in the child’s intestine.

“It’s the ultimate probiotic,” said Dr. Sachin Kunde.

Kunde conducted the first clinical trial in the country to study the use of fecal microbial transplantation on children with ulcerative colitis. Only 10 patients were involved in the trial, but the results were promising.

BY THE NUMBERS

Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the large intestine and rectum.• 1.4 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease
• 700,000 have ulcerative colitis
• One in four patients is diagnosed in childhood
SOURCE: CCFA 

The symptoms cleared up in three of the children – and they stayed symptom-free for at least a month. Another six saw improvements, which also lasted at least a month. For example, the number of daily bowel movements may have dropped from 10 to five, Kunde said. One child was unable to retain the enema.

The results of the study were published online by the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and will be featured in the June print edition.

The study has stirred excitement among parents of children and young adults with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the large intestine or rectum.

“We had at least 50 patients in one year calling to be enrolled in the study,” Kunde said. “They want it because they don’t want medication. They think this is a fix.”

But Kunde balanced hope with caution. A larger study is needed to test the treatment’s effectiveness, he said. He has applied for funding for further research and is looking into whether the experimental treatment can be offered outside of a research setting.

Kunde said he first thought of using fecal transplants to treat ulcerative colitis during his fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta. They have previously been used experimentally to treat C. difficile infections.

Within a month of joining DeVos Children’s Hospital in 2011, he proposed the clinical trial to the Spectrum Health institutional review board. He also had to obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration, because human stool is considered a drug and a biologic.

To perform the transplant, a stool sample must be provided by a healthy adult, usually a family member or close friend. It is mixed with a saline solution and filtered to remove particles that could block the tube. It is given to the patient as an enema in a process that takes more than an hour.

“We believe that the procedure may restore ‘abnormal’ bacteria to ‘normal’ in patients with ulcerative colitis,” Kunde said.

The pilot study involved 10 children and young adults, ages 7 to 20. They received a treatment a day for five days, and then their symptoms were evaluated.

Hospital staff made sure the patients did not see or smell the fecal transplant, which decreased anxiety and uneasiness about it. Kunde said awareness about the treatment is needed so people will readily see it as an acceptable option.

However, many struggling with severe symptoms of ulcerative colitis – adults and children – don’t need convincing, Kunde said. The disruption of life can be a significant psychological burden on patients and their families.

“People want this to be gone,” he said. “I don’t know if it will be gone or not. But it is a new hope for them.

“If we can help at least 30 percent of the patients, that is important.”

Contact Sue Thoms: Email. Twitter. Facebook.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/04/fecal_transplant_-_the_ultimat.html

Researchers Find Genetic Link Specific in Identifying Johne's Disease (Disease caused by MAP) in Cattle

John's the man!!!
Ewwww  think about it for a second.  $220 million each year is spent on sick cows that are affected by MAP bacteria (bacteria that causes Johnes Disease).  How many cows are we talking about here?? A LOT! No wonder the # of people with Crohn's Disease is quickly increasing.  All the freaking cows milk is tainted.  

Will vaccinating cattle protect them from such a nasty tough as steel bacteria like MAP though. Say the vaccinated cows show no signs of illness at all, but they have trace amounts of the MAP bacteria living in them that doesn't bring on Johne's Disease.  Will that small amount of bacteria that is passed to humans through dairy intake be enough to make people sick?  I'm just thinking out loud...  Just wondering how this discovery is going to affect the dairy industry.  Just have to wait and see. 

Researchers uncover genetic link to cattle diseases - Farm and Ranch Guide: Livestock News:

Posted: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 3:00 am

By Sandra Avant, ARS News Service | 0 comments

Detecting the costly, contagious Johne's disease in cattle is now easier, thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Johne's disease, also known as Paratuberculosis, is estimated to cost the U.S. dairy industry more than $220 million each year. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other animals, causing diarrhea, reduced feed intake, weight loss and sometimes death.

Microbiologist John Bannantine and his colleagues at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa, discovered an antibody that's 100 percent specific in detecting Johne's disease. This is the first time a specific antibody that binds only to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), the pathogen that causes the disease, has been discovered. A patent has been awarded to scientists for the antibody, which could greatly benefit the improvement of diagnostic tests that confirm the presence of MAP.

Previous efforts to detect Johne's disease were hindered because all antibodies used to identify MAP strains also reacted to environmental mycobacteria, according to Bannantine, who works in NADC's Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit. Some of those antibodies also reacted to the disease pathogen responsible for bovine tuberculosis (TB) and caused false-positive results.

Other research, conducted by NADC microbiologist Judy Stabel, focused on ensuring that Johne's disease vaccines do not cross-react with tests for bovine TB, a disease problem in states where wild deer infect cattle.

Stabel and her team vaccinated calves with an effective commercial Johne's vaccine to test cross reactivity with TB tests. They took blood samples for a year and then measured immune and serological responses of calves using novel TB tests.

Scientists found no cross reactivity with the TB serology tests, demonstrating that animals could be vaccinated against Johne's disease without interfering with bovine TB testing. Similar results were found with the skin test used to detect TB in cattle.

Read more about this research in the April 2013 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.