Treating Crohn’s Disease with Cellular Therapy

Crohn’s disease is a chronic disease that can cause painful, reoccurring symptoms relating to the gastrointestinal tract such as abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss, and fever. While several potential factors can trigger Crohn’s, its exact cause is not known, and up until recently treatment has been focused on symptom management as Crohn’s has had no known cure. Cell therapy now represents a new hope for relief for individuals suffering from this often life-long condition by treating the root cause of Crohn’s disease in a specific and targeted manner.

The Basics of Cell Therapy

Cell therapy as a general definition involves transplanting new human cells into the body to help restore function or alleviate symptoms. The mechanism behind cell therapy is already well-known, as bone marrow transplants and blood transfusion have been options for many decades. Recent developments have led to cell therapies becoming viable for treating more specific ailments, with the caution that clinical trials are often very specific and targeted in how cellular therapies can be delivered. However, the field is expected to continue to grow and diversify as treatments continue to be studied and approved.

How Cell Therapy Can Treat Crohn’s

Previously, it was known that Crohn’s was at least partially caused by the body’s immune system reacting to various conditions normally found in the GI tract. A study published by Nature in 2022 found that individuals injected with regulatory T cells saw a reduction of Crohn’s activity of up to 75%. Another study carried out by the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School also discovered in 2022 that individuals suffering from Crohn’s were found to have fewer T-cells that help regulate conditions and prevent inflammation in their intestines.  T-cell therapy is  a growing field with numerous possibilities, especially after two scientists won the Nobel Prize for discovering therapeutic options using T-cells to fight cancer in 2018. It seems clear given from prior knowledge of Crohn’s as well as the results of these new studies that preventing the body’s inflammatory response is the key to successfully managing the disease, though there are several potential roads that lead to this result.  

What Kind of Cell Therapies are Available?

Several options exist, including mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells. These cells are found everywhere in the body, but are most heavily present in blood, bone marrow, and fat. Also known as pluripotent stem cells, these cells have the ability to grow into many different types of cells that the body needs, even potentially cells that the body does not normally grow after the early stages of life. The BrioMD process for cell therapies is outlined on the website for review, which involves harvesting cells from within your body and isolating the specific types needed from the sample, with a treatment regimen to follow over the next several weeks.

Further questions? Reach out to us

BrioMD is committed to their patients’ safety, health, and comfort. If you have any questions about whether cell therapy to treat Crohn’s Disease is right for you, please feel free to reach out for a consultation.