University of Nottingham researchers have launched a major clinical trial to find the role of stem cells in “rebooting” the immune system to provide a cure for Crohn’s disease.

The involved researchers are finding out if the stem cell obtained from the body of the patient himself may be used to provide long term and effective remissions for tens of thousands of people.

From News-Medical.Net:

The Europe-wide trial, which is currently recruiting patients, is the first of its kind in the world to treat Crohn’s. The disease is a chronic ongoing condition that most commonly affects the small intestine and colon. It causes inflammation, deep ulcers and scarring to the wall of the intestine, with main symptoms including pain in the abdomen, diarrhoea, fatigue and weight loss.

It affects around 60,000 people in the UK, with 3-6,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Currently it has no cure. Normal treatment includes steroids, which cannot be taken long-term, and immune suppressant drugs.

But if the Nottingham-led stem cell therapy is successful, Professor Chris Hawkey and colleagues Dr Paul Fortun and Dr Tony Shonde believe that in the future it could just possibly mean a cure for up to 50 per cent of sufferers. The study is featured on a new TV series starting on November 1 on the Community Channel.

This study on stem cell regarding Crohn’s Disease at The University of Nottingham is funded by the Broad Medical Research Program of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in California.