Why The Microbiome Is Key To New Crohn’s Treatments

I've been involved with The CCF (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation) for a few years now. This is a great organization with tons of free resources, support groups, charity walks, comedy nights, and other excellent types of fundraising.

A great deal of these fundraising efforts are being put towards cutting edge research into Crohn's and colitis. The great part of this is, as our understanding of these conditions has improved, scientists have grown closer to making numerous medical breakthroughs.

Increased understanding of the microbiome

One area where there is a lot of promise, and have been a ton of medical advancements, is our understanding of the microbiome. This term refers to the genetic material of all the microbes that live in the human body, particularly, in this case, the intestines. Bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses—anything taking place in this area—seems to have a major impact on health outcomes.

Since the microbiome is so essential for those with Crohn’s disease, I thought I’d mention some interesting facts about it that seemed worthy of review.

How location and where you live impacts the microbiome

One is that the moment you move locations your microbiome starts changing. It generally becomes a completely different microbiome in a matter of days. Wow, right? That’s sort of amazing. It is also something to consider if you’re not feeling well. Perhaps if you move to another country it could even help alleviate some of your troublesome symptoms.¹

New research and advancements

Another interesting point is that some people claim to have improved dramatically through a triple-antibiotic therapy taken over a two-year period. Right now Redhill Biopharma is working on a trial involving this triple antibiotic therapy, RHB-104, essentially based off the MAP-bacteria theory of Crohn's (a problematic bacteria that can become part of microbiome).²

Early results look promising. One theory as to why this might work is the antibiotics kill off the MAP-bacteria. (Additionally, antibiotics like Cipro and Metronidazole are often prescribed short-term for many Crohn's patients, again pointing to the importance of the microbiome.)²

Stool transfer for inflammatory bowel disease

FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplant), or a stool transfer, has also proved quite effective. This is where a healthy person’s stool is inserted into your digestive tract.

While a bit strange sounding, FMT is becoming an increasingly popular treatment for inflammatory bowel disease since the early data looks promising. It’s also very safe. FMT, again, points to the vital role played by the microbiome. After all, it tells us that just by putting healthier microbiota in our intestines we often feel so much better.³

Hope for the future of Crohn's and colitis

There is much more yet to be learned in this burgeoning field. (For example, probiotics are another area that holds promise, and again points to the importance of the microbiome). That said, given the amount of research in this area, it is almost certain new treatments will be developed around the microbiome. One of these very well might be a game changer.

We can only hope that, in the near future, millions of sufferers will be able to find some relief. Thanks so much for reading, and, as always, feel free to comment below.