Withdrawal Drug Offers Relief For Crohn's Sufferers

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Posted:

May 29, 2006

Withdrawal

Drug Offers Relief For Crohn's Sufferers

A

Penn State College of Medicine

pilot study suggests that a drug used to ease symptoms of alcohol and drug

addiction may also bring relief to people with Crohn's disease, a chronic

inflammatory disorder of the intestine that affects an estimated 500,000

Americans.

In the study, patients with diagnosed Crohn's disease were treated

with a low dose of naltrexone, an FDA-approved drug

used to ease symptoms of withdrawal from substance abuse,

and monitored for improvement of symptoms for 12 weeks. Quality of life surveys

were given every four weeks for 16 weeks.

Jill P. , a gastroenterology specialist and researcher at the

College of Medicine and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical

Center, presented her findings recently in Los Angeles at the National Association of

Gastroenterologists annual Digestive Diseases Week conference.

The results showed that 89 percent of participants showed an

improvement with therapy,

while 67 percent achieved remission of symptoms. The only side effect to

treatment was sleep disturbance in some patients.

Typical treatment for Crohn's involves using steroids or

corticosteroids, which suppress the immune system

and can have other toxic side effects. Treatment is often time-intensive and

expensive, as well.

" This is a novel approach to treating a common disease, and

it's simple, it's safe, and it costs far less than current standards of

treatment, " said. " We don't yet know the exact mechanisms

involved in how it works, but we're working on that as well. "

initiated the study using a Dean's Feasibility Grant -- a

program designed to encourage investigators to design trials in their area of

expertise and seek outside funding. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)

recently awarded the College of Medicine $500,000 for the team to continue the

study.

In a related study, and other College of Medicine researchers are studying the chemical

and molecular mechanisms involved in suppression of inflammatory responses in

the intestine when animals are treated with naltrexone.

's second team is awaiting a decision on an NIH grant application for that

study.

Team

members on the first study include Stock, Bingaman and Mauger, Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, and Ian Zagon, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn

State College of Medicine.

Members

of the second study team include Gail L. Matters, and F. Harms, Department

of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Leo Fitzpatrick, Department of Surgery;

and Anuj Parikh and Nilo,

Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine.

Barb

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Ken (32) UC 91 - PSC 99