Preemies are infants born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. They are fragile and can face serious health issues. One of these issues is necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This is a severe gut problem that can be life-threatening. When NEC is very bad, surgery might be the only way to save the baby's li
The colon has a super important job: keeping our bodies healthy by absorbing water and nutrients. It does this with the help of a mucus barrier. This barrier is like a protective shield that lines the colon and keeps harmful stuff out. One of the key players in maintaining this barrier is a protein
Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a tricky condition to treat. Doctors often use anti-TNF drugs to help patients. But why do some people respond well, while others don't? Recent research points to a surprising culprit: mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside our cells. Scientists have been digging in
Scientists are exploring a unique way to diagnose ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease. They're studying an antibody called anti-integrin αvβ6. Imagine you're playing with magnets. This antibody acts like a special kind of magnet that sticks only to certain cells. When too many o
Ever wondered why some people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) feel less abdominal pain? Scientists have been puzzling over this for a while now. It turns out that a specific gene variation might play a key role. This gene is linked to Na v 1. 8, a protein that helps detect pain signals in our
Managing ulcerative colitis (UC) often involves using a drug called infliximab (IFX). But should doctors track the drug's levels in the body (a process known as therapeutic drug monitoring, or TDM) to improve outcomes? The answer isn't clear-cut; TDM might provide better results, but is it cost-effe
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a tenacious disease that targets the rectum and colon. But here's a surprising fact: the rectal environment plays a crucial role in triggering relapses. So, why is this the case? Researchers dived into this question in a two-step study. They compared gene activities in the
Ever wondered how our gut keeps working smoothly throughout life? The enteric nervous system (ENS) is like the brain of the gut, controlling its movements. But this system faces constant challenges and might lose some nerve cells (apoptosis) along the way. Scientists think new nerve cells (neurogene
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a tough-to-treat gut disorder. Enter Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), an oldie-but-goodie Chinese medicine mix. It's been shown to help, but how? Scientists combined metabolomics and network pharmacology to find out. First, they spotted metabolites that changed in mice with
Ever thought about the tiny bugs living inside our bellies? These are our gut microbiome, and they have a big job to do! Meet NEC, a nasty sickness that hits premature babies. Scientists are eager to figure out why some babies get it and others don't. They've found that kids with NEC have different
