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Decades old puzzle solved as scientists uncover cause of inflammatory bowel disease (www.ox.ac.uk)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/science@lemmy.world
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[–] 49 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Interesting article, for anyone wanting the TLDR:

Antibodies that block interleukin-10 (IL-10), a cell-to-cell messenger that normally acts as one of the body’s key controls on inflammation, effectively remove the immune system’s natural ‘brake’ on inflammation, allowing inflammatory responses to continue unchecked.

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  • [–] 29 points 5 months ago (4 children)

    Thanks for the TLDR. As a layman, that sounds like they've discovered the mechanism by which it happens, not the cause as the title suggests. Why is there an imbalance of those antibodies in the first place?

    I know they'll come up with some drug that blocks those antibodies from interacting with IL-10 and it will be great for those who suffer from this. But something has to be the cause, right? Something that itself can be addressed?

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  • [–] 18 points 5 months ago*

    Super cool research! However, it says that the genetic marker is only in 3.5% of patients, so it may be better to say that they found "a" cause rather than "the" cause. But that's still ok because that could eventually translate to cures or at least enhanced treatment for many thousands of people!

    Donation link for anyone interested. This organization was a huge help for a family member some years ago - https://giving.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/page/AD-SEM-MATCH

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  • [–] 17 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    In the article they explain its a certain genetic marker thats activated causing the imbalance.

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