A Crohn’s disease breakthrough by KU Leuven researchers
Researchers from the University of Leuven have discovered a protein that can predict a relapse in Crohn’s disease after an operation.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, but its impact can go far beyond gastrointestinal issues, often requiring an operation to remove part of the bowel. Unfortunately in a lot of these cases, inflammation returns after mere months. Now, KU Leuven researchers think they know why.
They have discovered that a protein known as GPX4 seems to serve a protective role in the bowels. It turns out that a low GPX4 count is a predictive factor for relapse. Now, that doesn’t mean that doctors will start massively pumping the protein into recovering patients, but it lays the foundation for further investigation into how this new discovery can be implemented.
KU Leuven and its hospital have a long history of expertise in inflammatory bowel diseases, so it’s only natural that they keep extending this knowledge base, proving once again that our universities and their respective hospital have indispensable know-how that make them unmissable on the international stage.