New drug helps with Crohn's disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A drug that stimulates part of the immune system improves symptoms of Crohn's disease, according to a new study.
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease which causes bleeding, pain and ulceration. A team at Massachusetts General Hospital now reveals how a new treatment that damps down the inflammatory response can help in Crohn's disease.

A group of 94 participants took either injections of the drug, GM-CSF, which stimulates immunity, or placebo. Those on the active drug were more likely to experience remission or improvement of their symptoms than those on placebo. This looks like a promising new approach for those with Crohn's, where recurrence is common, even with treatment. The researchers are now planning larger studies, in the hope that GM-CSF can be approved as a treatment in the near future.

Source
New England Journal of Medicine 26th May 2005