A new method for treating Ulcerative colitis has been discovered from researchers from the Bristol University that was presented at an international conference of experts in New Orleans.

Dr Tom Creed and colleagues from the Henry Wellcome Laboratories at Bristol University explored the effectiveness of an antibody known as basiliximab as a new treatment option for Ulcerative colitis.

From News-Medical.Net:

Steroid therapy is the most effective treatment for UC but up to 30% of patients will have a poor response to steroids.  These steroid resistant individuals present a difficult clinical challenge to gastroenterologists, with few treatment options available after steroids other than removal of the entire colon (colectomy).  Basiliximab, a novel monoclonal antibody, could be an effective alternative.

Basiliximab has been proven effective as a steroid sensitizer in steroid resistant UC both in the lab and in humans.  The Bristol pilot study examined an extended series of 30 steroid resistant UC patients treated with basiliximab.  Twenty patients with moderately active disease and 10 patients with severe disease were treated with a single intravenous dose of basiliximab (40mg) in addition to their standard steroid therapy.  They were then monitored for remission within eight weeks with ‘remission’ defined by an Ulcerative Colitis Symptom Score (UCSS) of less than two.

It was remarked by Dr Creed that the study results suggest that the use of basiliximab can prove effective when it comes to attaining considerable improvements or remission for patients with ulcerative colitis.