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Saturday, August 22, 2009

Special Bacteria May Curb Bowel Diseases

Special Bacteria May Curb Bowel Diseases
Special Bacteria May Curb Bowel Diseases
Genetically Engineered Bacteria and Drink Reduce Colitis in Early Lab Tests; Human Studies Next
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

"Aug. 21, 2009 -- Researchers in England may have found a new way to treat colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases."

"Those scientists took a bacterium called Bacteroides ovatus, which people naturally have in their gut, and genetically altered it to secrete a protein called KGF-2 when exposed to a sugar called xylan."

"The point is to bump up the presence of KGF-2, which is a human growth factor that could help heal damage done by inflammatory bowel diseases."

"Why not just give human growth factors directly? Because "they are unstable when administered orally and systemic administration requires high doses, increasing the risk of unwanted side effects," the researchers write in the online edition of the journal Gut."
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