Alternative treatments to Crohn’s disease Jade wagman

What is crohn's disease Crohn's disease is an autoimmune condition in which parts of the digestive system become inflamed when the immune system mistakenly attacks it It is a lifelong condition and can affect anywhere in the GI tract.

Symptoms diarrhoea stomach aches and cramps blood in feces fatigue weight loss a high fever Nausea and vomiting joint pains sore, red eyes patches of painful, red and swollen skin mouth ulcers

Common treatments

Steroids Reduce inflammation Start to work in days Can be in taken orally Can cause side effects such as weight gain, indigestion and insomnia

Immunosuppressants Reduces activity of immune system to stop any more inflammation Often used if steroids aren’t working Can be taken orally Side effects include higher risks of infection and liver problems

Surgery Used only as a last resort The inflamed parts of the digestive tract are removed using keyhole surgery and the remaining healthy parts are stitched back together. Done under general anaesthetic Sometimes a ileostomy is needed

Problems with current treatments They don’t always stay effective in the long term Most people with Crohn’s end up receiving surgery Surgery can have a devastating effect on quality of life Especially if a stoma is placed

Alternative treatments

Antibodies There are currently studies being done that have found a link between Crohn's disease and a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP). It has been found that people with Crohn’s are more likely to have MAP bacteria in their system From this it has been hypothesised that if an antibody to MAP bacteria was found the symptoms of Crohn’s may be able to be more effectively managed. Studies have found a medication called RHB-104 which has been shown to reduce symptoms associated with Crohn’s significantly, however it is not yet available to the general public.

Stem cells A relatively new study is investigating whether using stem cells to completely “reset” the body’s immune system will allow the current treatments for Crohn’s to work if they did not do so before Chemotherapy and hormone treatments will be used to mobilise the patients stem cells, which will then be harvested and removed from their blood. Further chemotherapy is then used to wipe out the body’s immune system When the stem cells are reintroduced into the body they should develop into white blood cells, effectively giving the patient an entirely new immune system.

Fecal transplants There are currently studies being done on whether restoring the body’s natural microbiome will help relieve symptoms of Crohn’s. a fecal transplant can be performed in a variety of ways including a colonoscopy, a fecal enema or a nasoduodenal tube A pill containing all necessary bacteria from the healthy stool is also being investigated Results from studies so far have shown promising results but the treatment has not yet been allowed to be used due to the risk of the donor feces having a viral infection or microorganisms that while not harmful to the donor may be harmful to sufferers of Crohn’s.

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