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I Think I May Have Figured Out The Cause Of IBD In Everyone

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Posted 7/22/2015 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
I have been trying to keep up with (not really for IBD) the new CRISPR technology recently discovered. When reading the below linked article today, CRISPR's possible relationship to IBD hit me like a ton of bricks, particularly the following paragraph:

Bacteria have been using this technique (CRISPR) for millions of years to protect themselves from viruses. When they detect some of a virus's DNA, they cut and paste it into their own genomes, so they can recognize the invaders next time they encounter them.

I hypothesize that in IBD one or more of the bacteria in our guts have been exposed to a virus (could be a different virus in everyone and the virus may not even have given us any major symptoms) and did gene editing due to this, which in turn caused our immune systems to not recognize this type of bacteria anymore as "self", which in turn causes our immune systems to attack this bacteria as a non-self invader when the immune system did not attack it before. The resulting damage in our colons is collateral damage due to this attack. The root cause is really the bacteria in our gut's mutation, not really a problem with our own systems. Researchers and other medical professionals keep on concentrating on what's wrong with us when the real problem might be what is wrong with the mutated bacteria in our colons.



news.yahoo.com/scientists-think-theyve-found-way-211400846.html
Posted 7/22/2015 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
I wouldn't be surprised if something like that was the cause. The problem is that once it's activated, how do you turn it off? Of course, finding a definite cause would be a huge step forward but it doesn't get us easily to the solution regardless :( Also if it's bacteria driven, would it be treated with antibiotic?
Posted 7/22/2015 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Yep. You're right there. I plan on making another post of the cure in about 50 to 100 years but first I'm going to have to figure out how to live another 50 to 100 years. Interesting thought on the antibiotic.
Posted 7/22/2015 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
Neat idea, but A) its already been hypothesized to some degree with research that came out earlier this year showing that people with IBD have MORE diverse viromes and B) it doesnt fit with epidemiological data. Something like this wouldnt show the epidemiological trends we see in the world today. Also, the parts of the viral genome that get incorporated into the host bacteria (which usually doesnt happen unless it is a prophage) wouldnt be expressed, or at least not the same as a normal protein would.
Posted 7/22/2015 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
CRISPR modifies the bacterial genome, i.e. its DNA. Whether humans see bacteria as self or nonself is generally determined by other factors on the bacteria, eg. proteins from the bacteria, or fragments of the bacterial cell wall etc.
Posted 7/22/2015 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
Why it it less prevalent in 3rd world countries then ?
Posted 7/22/2015 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
If that were the case I would think it would be a simple matter to purge ALL gut flora, then repopulate with non genetically modified bacteria (perhaps with fecal implant). Thus effecting a complete cure, rather than just remission.
Posted 7/23/2015 12:35 AM (GMT 0)

wodin said...
If that were the case I would think it would be a simple matter to purge ALL gut flora, then repopulate with non genetically modified bacteria (perhaps with fecal implant). Thus effecting a complete cure, rather than just remission.

Unfortunately that is not only impossible, but would cause so many issues for you that it would never be done.
Posted 7/23/2015 3:27 AM (GMT 0)
Regardless of how it might be related to UC, the CRISPR discovery is just amazing. Radiolab (public radio program) recently did a show on the basics of CRISPR and the implications it has for ushering in a whole new era of human genetic engineering.

http://www.radiolab.org/story/antibodies-part-1-crispr/
Posted 7/23/2015 4:17 AM (GMT 0)

wodin said...
If that were the case I would think it would be a simple matter to purge ALL gut flora, then repopulate with non genetically modified bacteria (perhaps with fecal implant). Thus effecting a complete cure, rather than just remission.

Actually, i believe I know a cure now. If you were to find a matching bone marrow donor, completely killed the patient's immune system and did the bone marrow transplant, there's probably a decent chance that any autoimmune disease the patient had (including UC) would be completely cured. A couple of small details would be the extremely high risk of the procedure coupled with finding an unethical doctor and facility stupid enough to try this.
Posted 7/23/2015 6:01 AM (GMT 0)
As it turns out, the only real distinction is in the method of collecting the stem cells...and we've talked to death about stem cell transplants for IBDers on the crohn's forum and we've even discussed it at this forum as well....

Last I remember the discussion was that it would be too dangerous/possibly deadly to wipe and then re-enter stem cells to hopefully fix what's actually wrong with us...someone said they researched and that the risk of being wiped clean to reintroduce stem cells could easily be deadly for anyone let alone someone whose immune system is already a big mess.

There's probably a better chance that some IBDer will figure this out before the actual researchers do hahaha!!

Who the hell knows? I for one sure as hell don't want to live another 50 or 100 years to wait for a cure that's for darned sure.
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