is anyone optimisitc there will be some type of "Cure" Or "vaccine" Because..

I'm in Canada, our standards are very high for our cows, no hormones or antibiotics injected into them, our chickens too. Diet may be a trigger (the CCFC has not ruled diet/food out as a trigger for IBD), the reason why researchers cannot confirm that it's completely genetic is because they are not able to figure out the genetic link, like with cystic fibrosis for example, that was easy for them to figure out that it's strictly genetic...that doesn't mean IBD isn't.

There are over 30 genes linked to IBD and they vary from UC to CD. IBD has been around forever, it was only recognized just over 100 yrs ago by Dr. Burill Crohn. In the past few yrs, advanced genetic techniques have allowed scientists to discover at least 9 different gene clusters that contribute to the development of IBD and define the severity and behavior of the disease over time. Gene's are very much associated with IBD.

Many people *think* they are the only ones in their families that have it, fact is no one knows the complete health history of every person they are/were related to...so they have no idea how many or who all had an IBD in their family history....they also have to realize that everyone that is predisposed to getting IBD has to have it triggerd, so current family members of ours are all at some degree of risk of being predisposed to getting an IBD, it's just a matter of it being triggered for them...think about how many people likely died before their disease was triggered for them.

My mom has UC, she didn't get sick with it until AFTER I got sick with crohn's...that speaks volumes right there...had she died before she got sick, I might be sitting here telling people that mine isn't genetic, but infact it is. IBD is not a contagious disease, that is well known. So if it's not contagious, what else can it be....the antibiotics, the birth control pills, our hormones, toothpaste, diet/food are considered triggers, not causes, the cause is our faulty immune system, what causes our immune system to be or become faulty....genetics.

Will there be a cure, who knows, researchers can't even figure out how IBD passes to some family members and not all, until they can figure this disease out a cure is put off....as far as the stem cell therapy, sure that can likely be a cure, afterall, they have to wipe our immune system clean in order to cure IBD...that's why getting a intestinal tract transplant doesn't cure the disease, cuz the disease is due to a faulty immune system that just happens to attack the intestines, replacing the intestines with disease free intestines does nothing because the new intestine becomes diseased as well. Fix the immune system, cures the disease.

But I can tell you this, the CCFC is further researching the gentics of IBD with their GEM project...which you can veiw from this link if you copy and paste it into your browser...

http://www.gemproject.ca/home.jsp


Clearly the reason being is because they know it's not a contagious entity, but more than likely a genetic one, think about how many thousands of yrs people have been walking this planet now, and we are all linked to them one way or another.


:)

I agree 100% with PB4. I truly do believe that my family history of autoimmune disease on my mother's side (MS) is a huge factor into my getting Crohn's, since some of the same genes are involved in the two. The whole stem cell thing really intrigues me as well. I do believe that there are several mutated genes that can be involved in IBD, and that more than likely, some sort of environmental factor sets off an abnormal response with those genes, which triggers the disease.

I have also read that intestinal transplants don't work and that the disease will attack the new intestines as well - it was something I looked up when I first got diagnosed. I really hope that stem cell therapy becomes something available on a widespread basis and it leads to a cure of this horrible disease.

It's such a complex disease and that contributes to making it so difficult to completely figure out. One gene imparticular discovered by Dr. Kathy Siminovitch is a gene located on chromosome 5, and normally produces a protein that sits on the cell surface and controls movement of specific substances in and out of the cell. When altered (scratched), the gene produces a protein that functions improperly, allowing toxins increased entry into the cell. This gene alteration is primarily observed in crohn's disease. Bacteria also plays a HUGE roll in the development of IBD, afterall, it is our immune system that attacks harmless bacteria therefore causing inflammation (disease activity), the lines are crossed, our immune system thinks it's doing us good but infact quite the opposite...that's genetics, if it wasn't then this would be happening to everybody regardless of their diet/life-style.

MS....who would have ever thought that it was a simple vein in the neck leading to the brain which has a blockage in it would cause so much grief to those that suffer with MS? But that is infact what has been recently discovered (google for the latest news on MS).

Comparing diseases, especially those that are fatal is apples to oranges in my own opinion...I'd rather live a short healthy life, than a long sick one, the financial burden of IBD is huge, especially because it is not a fatal disease, it needs to be addressed just as any fatal disease does...living day to day suffering/debilitated, tied to the toilet is no way to live at all. The finacial burden lays on everyone, employers, insurance companies, government, it affects everyone. Research for aids and for many cancers has come a long way (alot longer than for IBD), it's rare that people die of AIDS nowadays compared to before, and although it is still deadly, it's better maintained now than when it first appeared. Some forms of cancer are also now "controlled" with vaccines like cervical cancer vaccines for example.

If you think about it, to date, there is not a single RX specifically designed for the treatment of IBD, they are all in one way or another, cross-over drugs for other diseases/conditions, viagra, asacol, remicade....viagra happens to aid some crohn's patients, asacol as far as I know is actually a drug used for cancer, remicade, designed for rheumatoid arthritis. It's sick when you think about it, all these yrs and not a single med designed to treat IBD, clearly that shows we're not on any priority list doesn't it.

BTW, smoking (including second-hand smoke) is one KNOWN trigger for crohn's yet a method to treat UC (google carbon monoxide shuts down inflammation in the colon), but of course that doesn't mean it's every single crohnies trigger, just like smoking isn't every UCers "cure".

:)

There is simply too much money to be made in medications and treatments, for any cure to come about. That seems to be the case for everything. So no, I'm not very optimistic about a cure.

I actually do believe there is a genetic component to CD as well. I don't think they know right now what causes it.

Wow that stem cell therapy is intense. A bit scary but the success rate is amazing. This article makes it sound like the cure is here, NOW!! But wiping out your whole immune system and then reestablishing it is hairy.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/139774.php

I wonder if they might be referring to using stem cell therapy to cure IBS as well, that would be great for me too, I could kill 2 birds with one stone, my CD and my IBS...where do I sign up????

:)

I swear that I have already cured my Crohn's. OK, maybe not cured, but in (hopefully permanent) remission. For over a year now, no symptoms.

I've posted this a number of times:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=17&p=3&m=1385214

I'm not trying to be a nag or anything, this is just my experience. Some interest has been shown, but no one followed through as far as I know.

about stem cells: a friend of mine told me that he knew of a doctor in Costa Rica claiming to cure Crohn's with stem cells. Cost for treatment is something like US$15,000. I never followed through on that, and now I'm happily not feeling like I need to.

Disclaimer: maybe my luck will change tomorrow and I'll be back in the hospital getting my 4th bowel resection. Hope not.

best regards,
Robert