Capsules packed with bacteria that soak up stomach gases could ease the misery of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The treatment works by mopping up hydrogen sulphide, the ‘rotten egg gas’ that is thought to be one of the underlying causes of IBS.
As many as one in five Britons has this chronic gut disorder that can cause stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.
Current treatments address symptoms and include dietary changes, such as cutting down on fibre to reduce diarrhoea, and medicines to ease pain and constipation.
The exact cause of IBS is unknown but oversensitive nerves in the gut, stress and the speed at which food passes through the digestive system may all be at play.
As many as one in five Britons has irritable bowel syndrome which can cause stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation
However, some experts believe that bacteria in the gut are key.
It is thought high numbers of bugs in the wrong part of the gut pump out hydrogen sulphide and other gases that produce the bloating, pain and other symptoms of IBS.
Research has shown that people with IBS have different bugs in their guts compared to healthy people. The capsules, called Blautix, aim to redress the balance. Made by UK biotech 4D pharma, they contain Blautia hydrogenotrophica, a bacterium that takes up hydrogen from the intestines to use as energy to keep it alive.
This reduces levels of bloating and pain-inducing hydrogen sulphide gas.
It also leads to the production of acetate, which comes about due to the reduction of hydrogen; acetate leads to the changes in the gut bacteria, which become more diverse and stable.
Data presented at the Digestive Disease Week conference in Washington D.C. recently revealed that 82 per cent of patients showed an overall improvement in symptoms compared to 50 per cent taking a placebo. The make-up of gut bacteria in IBS patients also became more similar to that of a healthy comparison group after taking the capsules.
Around 500 people with IBS are now being given the new pill or a placebo at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, and other centres across the U.S. and Europe. They will take the capsules over three months and provide blood, urine and stool samples to see if symptoms ease.
It is thought high numbers of bugs in the wrong part of the gut pump out hydrogen sulphide and other gases that produce the bloating, pain and other symptoms of IBS
Dr Jason Dunn, a consultant gastroenterologist, at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said there is much interest in the gut microbiota — the bugs in the gut. ‘Recent research suggests patients with IBS do have altered gut micro-biota compared to people with healthy digestion,’ he says.
‘Studies in those with IBS have shown proportions of specific bacterial groups are altered. Biodiversity is also reduced. So there is great interest in treatments like this to modulate the microbiota, though the current evidence that these are effective in improving symptoms remains limited.’
- Meanwhile, a drug used to treat anxiety may provide relief from IBS.
Patients given pregabalin had improvements in abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea, the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics reports.
The 85 volunteers were given the drug or a placebo for 12 weeks. Those taking the pregabalin found their pain had almost halved by the end of the study. Their IBS also improved overall.
‘This trial suggests pregabalin may be beneficial for IBS abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea,’ say the researchers from the Mayo Clinic in the United States. One theory is that the drug reduces sensitivity to pain.
How growing new tendon cells can fix your joints too
Researchers have made the first step to developing better treatments for tendinosis — pain and strain in the tendons.
Doctors at Philadelphia University and Thomas Jefferson University, both in the U.S., examined samples from patients who were undergoing surgery for tendinosis and compared tendons from elderly versus young patients.
When tendon cells were grown in low-oxygen environments — similar to those in the bodies of older people — levels of a molecule called Rac1 were reduced, causing the cells to change shape, becoming tough like cartilage.
The researchers said this understanding could pave the way to manipulating cells to retain tendon qualities; or, when needed, turn them into cartilage for joint replacement.
Why fish spray could banish the common cold
Could cod hold the key to fighting the common cold?
A mouth spray that contains an enzyme found in the Arctic cod more than halved the length of a cold, a small trial found. German researchers will now ask 600 people to use the spray — brand name ColdZyme — or a placebo when they feel a cold coming on, and monitor their quality of life. It is claimed the enzyme attacks the cold virus, making it harder for it to infect the throat.
‘This trial, backed up by the initial study, has huge potential to reduce undue suffering from the common cold,’ says Jaydip Ray, a professor of otology and neurotology at the University of Sheffield.
Sizing it up
How body parts can change. This week: Ovaries shrink if you’re on the Pill
The ovaries of women on the contraceptive pill are smaller than those of women not taking it, according to research by Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
Size change is not permanent and mostly reverses within six months
The study came about after researcher Dr Kathrine Birch Petersen noticed that young women at her fertility clinic had ovaries that looked closer in size to those of menopausal women (ovaries get naturally smaller with age).
‘Oral contraceptives inhibit follicle growth in the ovary and inhibit the size of hormone-producing tissues, so you see a change in size,’ she said.
‘Women younger than 30 who have been on the Pill for more than ten years can have a 50 per cent reduction in ovary size.’
The good news is that the size change is not permanent and it does reverse within six months in most cases. ‘Although some women can take up to a year,’ said Dr Birch Peterson.
Do this
Listen to music to reduce stress. A recent study in 45 people found those who listened to 30 minutes of music every day reported significantly reduced stress levels and improved well‑being, reports the Journal of Public Health. A previous study suggested that music changes levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Hold back the clock
Don’t worry about a few extra pounds if you’re over the age of 70
Don’t worry about a few extra pounds if you’re over the age of 70.
While a healthy weight is good for you when you’re young, past 70, a few extra pounds (though remaining at the lower end of ‘overweight’ according to your Body Mass Index) may be associated with longer life, suggests a study published by the University of California this year.
The researchers found that slightly heavier 90-year-olds lived longer than those who were normal or underweight.
It’s thought that as we gain fat, we also gain small amounts of muscle.
‘Some thin, elderly people are physically weak, with low muscle and low resistance to disease,’ explains Dr Chip Lavie, an American cardiologist and author of The Obesity Paradox.