Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a debilitating chronic condition that impacts roughly 900,000 individuals in the United States alone. Ulcerative Colitis is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) where the immune system causes inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine (colon) and rectum.

Symptoms

Patients with Ulcerative Colitis can experience:

Abdominal Pain
Cramping
Rectal bleeding
Diarrhea
Urgent bowel movements
Weight loss

Fever
Fatigue
Joint pain
Eye irritation
Skin lumps
Ulcers

Causes

While the exact cause of Ulcerative Colitis is not known, genetic predisposition, abnormal immune response and inappropriate environmental or microbial stimuli contribute to Ulcerative Colitis.

Treatment

There is currently no medical cure for Ulcerative Colitis. Medications can help manage symptoms, but not cure the disease. Current FDA approved treatments include anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants and biologics (which target specific proteins in the immune system that impact inflammation in the colon). Lifestyle changes including identifying and avoiding trigger foods, stress management and exercise can assist in symptom management.

Microbiota Therapy Research

ACT research partners at the University of Minnesota have investigated the impact of dietary interventions and Microbiota Transplant Therapy (also known as Fecal Microbiota Transplant) in treating Ulcerative Colitis.

Dietary Impact on Intestinal Sulfate Metabolism
Trial Location: University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, MN
Trial Status: Completed
Trial Summary:
Researchers studied the impact of diet on intestinal Sulfate Reducing Bacteria. This pilot crossover study monitored the gut bacteria of four healthy individuals, who followed two interventional diets for 10-14 days, containing high or low sulfur-containing amino acids (SAA). No major changes occurred in the quantity of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria, suggesting that “dietary interventions alone may be insufficient for rapid therapeutic targeting of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria”.
For more information, visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05333900
To read the study publication, visit: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6521024/
Fecal Transplant for Ulcerative Colitis
Trial Location: University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, MN
Trial Status: Completed
Trial Summary:
Investigators studied the connection between high levels of Hydrogen sulfide, sulfate reducing bacteria and inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis patients. The study suggests that “the increasing severity of inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis is due to the dilution of beneficial factors, concentration of toxic factors and changing detoxification capacity of the host, all of which are intimately linked to the nutrient flow from the diet”.
For more information, visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03948919
To read the study publication, visit: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6521024/