Ulcerative Colitis to Missing Gut Microbes

New research has linked ulcerative colitis to missing gut microbes, according to a paper published in Cell Host & Microbe.

The study compared patients who had undergone an identical corrective surgical procedure who had ulcerative colitis or a rare noninflammatory condition. In patients with ulcerative colitis, that a particular family of bacteria was depleted as well as deficient in a set of anti-inflammatory substances that the bacteria make.

“This study helps us to better understand the disease,” said Aida Habtezion, MD, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology in a press release. “We hope it also leads to our being able to treat it with a naturally produced metabolite that’s already present in high amounts in a healthy gut.”

Read the full study here.