Scientists uncover hidden immune cause of inflammatory bowel disease, ending 30-year mystery
Research links antibodies that disable key anti-inflammatory protein to severe cases, opening path to targeted treatments and blood tests
Researchers at the University of Oxford, Newcastle University and Cambridge University Hospitals have identified a previously unknown cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): antibodies that disable the immune system's natural inflammation control. The discovery, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, solves a 30-year genetic puzzle and could lead to more precise diagnoses and treatments for the chronic conditions Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.