Researchers find two distinct genetic subtypes in Crohn’s disease patients

The UNC School of Medicine discovery could lead to more effective, personalized treatments for the debilitating gastrointestinal condition.

CHAPEL HILL, NC – Crohn’s disease, a common inflammatory disorder of the intestinal tract, can have devastating consequences for a patient’s quality of life and is notoriously hard to treat successfully, in part because its course and severity vary so much from one case to the next. Now, UNC School of Medicine scientists have made a discovery that could explain why Crohn’s is so variable: the disease appears to have at least two distinct subtypes, each with its own pattern of gene expression and mix of clinical features.

The discovery, published in the journal Gut, could lead to more effective strategies for treating Crohn’s, which affects close to one million people in the United States. Although people with the disease typically are treated with powerful immune-suppressing drugs, roughly 70 percent eventually require surgery to remove portions of the intestinal tract that have developed blockages or other problems caused by severe inflammation. Even after surgery, the disease often recurs and is therefore not curative.

A deeper understanding of the biology of Crohn’s disease should enable doctors to target it more effectively.

Read more at unchealthcare.org