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Crohn's disease

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Crohn’s disease


Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized by the presence of chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. One or several inflammation zones appear successively or simultaneously from mouth to anus. They can lead to ulcers in different segments of the digestive tract. In most of the cases CD localize in the terminal part of small intestine (ileum).
Familial forms exist in mostly a quarter of cases. Crohn’s disease strikes both sexes and generally begins between 20 and 40 years but forms affecting only the big intestine may begin after 50. In Belgium, nearly 15,000 people suffer from Crohn’s disease and 500 new cases are registered every year.

Causative agents


The exact origin of the disease is unknown. This is an autoimmune disease involving a human protein called Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFa) causing abnormal immune responses. Potent origin may be from infectious nature (implicating bacteria and possibly measles virus) or immunologic.

Treatments


Current treatments limit the inflammation and allow controlling symptoms but don’t cure patients. Professor Weinstock and al. (2003) hit upon the idea to seek the organisms that disappeared of our digestive tract since the beginning of the previous century. Among this organisms are found trematodes, little parasitic worms.

After doing tests on mice, researchers tried to re-educate patients’ immune system by contaminating them with microscopic eggs of worms belonging the Schistosoma genus. After a few weeks patients didn’t show any Crohn’s disease symptoms. It’s a big step forward, not only for the struggle against CD but for the understanding of autoimmune diseases in general. The same strategy could be applied against allergies or multiple sclerosis.


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