Living with IBD

“A sweetener used in sugar-free chewing gum, some toothpastes and thousands of other products could be a severe health risk,” the Daily Mail reported. It says that the sweetener, Sorbitol, can trigger severe weight loss, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. view more

Cogentus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the company’s pivotal Phase 3 study of its novel combination medicine CGT-2168. The patient entered the study at the Mobile Heart Specialists P.C. in Mobile, Ala. The study will evaluate the antiplatelet medicine CGT-2168, which is a combination of clopidogrel (currently marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. view more

Probiotics, such as yoghurt drinks containing live bacteria, have a tangible effect on the metabolism, according to the results of a new study published15 January in the journal Molecular Systems Biology.The research is the first to look in detail at how probiotics change the biochemistry of bugs known as gut microbes, which live in the gut and which play an important part in a person’s metabolic makeup. view more

Twenty-five leading oncology fellows from across the globe will receive a Merit Award from The ASCO Cancer Foundation for their outstanding contributions to cancer research of the gastrointestinal tract. These young investigators will be honored at the 2008 Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers Symposium, which takes place January 25-27 in Orlando. view more

Irish scientists have discovered a new potential therapeutic approach to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), a chronic debilitating disease involving inflammation of the intestine which affects more than 15,000 people in Ireland and millions of people worldwide. People suffering from IBD can experience an array of symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to debilitating disease requiring surgical removal of large parts of the intestine. view more

New insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that facilitate the remarkably fast adaptation of intestinal bacteria within their natural environment are provided in the January issue of PLoS Genetics by researchers from INSERM and INRA at University Paris Descartes.Using germ-free mice - a simplified but ecologically relevant system - the authors analyzed the intestinal adaptation of a model bacterial strain, Escherichia coli MG1655. E. view more

Appendectomy is one of the most frequent surgical procedures performed. In the western world alone it is estimated that over 800,000 procedures are performed annually, most as emergency admissions. The most common way to remove the appendix today is a small incision in the lower right quadrant — this incision is painful and invades the abdomen, carrying certain risks. view more

Many sugar-free chewing gums contain a sweetener called sorbitol. Sorbitol is a laxative which is poorly absorbed by the small intestine. An article in this week’s British Medical Journal (BMJ) warns of the dangers of excess sorbitol intake. The warning comes after doctors came across two patients who had chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and dangerously excessive weight loss. view more

Is an aspirin a day good for you, and how much should you take? Ten years after the FDA issued recommendations about the use of aspirin for people who have had heart attacks or are at risk for them, it may be a good time to talk to your doctor about the aspirin you’re taking. view more

Turnhout, 08 January 2008, Movetis NV, a European-based specialist pharmaceutical company, announced today that M0002, an orally-active selective V2 vasopressin antagonist for the treatment of ascites has successfully completed enrollment in a Phase IIa clinical trial, and that M0003, an innovative gastrokinetic compound for the treatment of paediatric reflux and gastroparesis has now begun a Phase IIa clinical trial in patients with gastroparesis. view more