Press release no. 47/2008 from 2008-05-19
Discovery of first genes for ulcerative colitis
Kiel University: yet another breakthrough in research into inflammatory diseases
Kiel researchers have for the first time identified genes that cause the chronic inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa). The study conducted by the research group at the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology at Kiel University was published in the most recent issue of Nature Genetics. In their search for genes causing Crohn's disease, the researchers discovered three genes that can only indicate a risk of colitis. Six years ago, Professor Stefan Schreiber's team had already found the first risk-genes for Crohn's disease, which is closely related to colitis.
Following on from the most recent studies into Crohn's disease, the Kiel scientists investigated random samples of people with Crohn's disease (1,850), with ulcerative colitis (1,103) and healthy subjects (1,817), taken from the German National Genome Research Network (NGFN) and the Popgen North German Biobank. They found changes in the genes PTPN2, HERC2 and STAT3 that were unique to ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative colitis is an ulcerous, chronic inflammation of the large intestine that starts at the anus and can spread throughout the large intestine. Ulcerative colitis is currently incurable and can occur at any age, although the disease usually starts between the ages of 20 and 40. Over 300,000 people in Germany suffer from ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
The Cluster of Excellence "Inflammation at Interfaces" is conducting research into what triggers these and other inflammatory diseases and how they can be treated and prevented. This Cluster of Excellence is a network of collaboration between 70 research groups at the Universities of Kiel, Lübeck and the Leibniz Centre for Medicine and Biosciences at the Research Centre in Borstel. Their spokesman is the Kiel gastro-intestinal specialist Professor Stefan Schreiber. The results of this research are already being used in specialist consultations for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis at the Clinic for General Internal Medicine at the Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital in Kiel. This is where a new therapy against the inflammatory messenger compound "TNF" was recently developed, which has now been authorized in the USA.
www.inflammation-at-interfaces.de
The full article in Nature Genetics:
www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ng.148.html
A figure on the topic is available for download at:
Click to enlarge |
Figure legend: Ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the bowel mucosa, spreads continuously from the rectum to variable degrees throughout the large intestine. Copyright: Competence Network for Bowel Diseases Image to download: |
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Institut für Klinische Molekularbiologie (Kiel University, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology)
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schreiber, Tel: 0431/597-1279, Fax: 0431/597-1434
E-mail: s.schreiber@mucosa.de
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Press and Communication Services, Head: Susanne Schuck, Text: Sandra Ogriseck
Address: D-24098 Kiel, phone: +49 (0431) 880-2104, fax: +49 (0431) 880-1355
e-mail: presse@uv.uni-kiel.de