A team of researchers in Germany discovered that certain dysfunctions in blood vessels could be a major contributor to the development of IBD. They hope that by eradicating the dysfunctions in the blood vessels it would slow the progression of the disease. Their findings were even published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. So, what exactly does this mean?Â
These researchers wanted to test the popular notion that proinflammatory cells circulate through the blood vessel itself. This led them to consider if blood vessel health had anything to do with the development of inflammatory diseases in the intestines. There are special cells called endothelial cells that line the blood vessel and filter what comes in and out of the cell. They discovered that people with IBD had extremely permeable cells. Suggesting that the lining cells may not be doing their jobs well. After finding this they were able to confirm that the cell interactions were in fact dysfunctional.Â
The team of researchers were also able to conduct experiments on mice with IBD. They wanted to see if they could stop the endothelial cells from reacting. The preliminary testing was successful. They also found that imatinib, a drug used to treat cancer, can reduce the permeability of blood vessels. Using this drug on the mice with IBD they were able to slow the progression of IBD. This is welcome news, and may lead to new treatments for IBD in the near future.Â
Check out the full article from Medical News Today HERE!
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