New insight into inflammatory bowel disease may lead to better treatments
A newly discovered link between bacteria and immune cells sheds light on inflammatory bowel disease, an autoimmune condition that affects 1.6 million people in the United States, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Mothers can pass traits to offspring through bacteria’s DNA
The DNA of
bacteria that live in the body can pass a trait to offspring in a way
similar to the parents’ own DNA, a new mouse study suggests. According to the authors, the discovery means
scientists need to consider a significant new factor – microbial DNA– in their efforts to understand
how genes influence illness and health.
Washington University scientists play key role in Crohn’s, colitis initiative
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are playing a leading role in an international collaboration dedicated to understanding genes that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease.