Study finds new tool for early detection of bowel disease
December 7th, 2010 - 4:40 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Dec 7 (ANI): Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) have developed a new kind of endoscope to aid the early detection and diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.
The Confocal Laser Endomicroscope (CLE) contains a powerful microscope which allows clinicians to view the bacteria that are thought to trigger diseases of the bowel such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
“Bacteria within the wall of the gut are already believed to play an important role in the development of inflammatory bowel disease and we now have a powerful new tool for viewing this bacteria during routine colonoscopy,” said Prof Alastair Watson.
“This new technique will allow the rapid identification of patients at risk or in the early stages of this common but distressing group of diseases,” he added.
The current method of taking biopsies prevents observation of the bacteria’s exact location and of the way it interacts with the mucous membrane.
The new endomicroscopy technique, which uses a flourescent dye to highlight the bacteria, allows these exact processes to be viewed at a sub-cellular level during routine colonoscopy. (ANI)
- 29 genome regions linked to common form of inflammatory bowel disease - Feb 07, 2011
- New probiotic can treat irritable bowels - Feb 01, 2011
- New probiotic fights inflammatory bowel diseases - Feb 01, 2011
- Irritable bowel syndrome patients not at increased colon cancer risk - Mar 10, 2010
- New drug target for inflammatory bowel disease found - Apr 01, 2011
- Vital clues to causes of inflammatory bowel disease found - Dec 17, 2009
- Regular aspirin use raises risk of Crohn's disease by 5 times - May 04, 2010
- Sound health depends on minority microbes - Aug 03, 2011
- Low-calorie diet tied to bowel disease deaths - Mar 21, 2012
- Common gut bug 'fights Salmonella-induced inflammatory bowel disease' - Nov 02, 2010
- Olive oil may help protect against ulcerative colitis - May 02, 2010
- How swallowing worms can heal ulcerative colitis - Dec 02, 2010
- Gut bug may hold key to inflammatory bowel disease treatment - Jan 20, 2010
- Protein that contributes to ulcerative colitis revealed - Apr 02, 2011
- Nanotechnology could help smuggle drugs into the gut - Nov 05, 2010
Tags: alastair, bacteria, biopsies, cellular level, colonoscopy, confocal laser, crohn s disease, diagnosis, east anglia, endoscope, exact location, flourescent dye, inflammatory bowel disease, microscope, mucous membrane, rapid identification, uea, ulcerative colitis, university of east anglia, watson