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For certain infections, faecal transplants have resulted in remarkable recoveries. Will the same ever be true for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? It’s a condition on the rise in Asia, but why? Follow those trying to find out, and learn how our environments influence IBD in this new Outlook. Plus, an engaging infographic provides an introduction to the biology and statistics that underlie IBD.
The symptoms of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can be severe and lifelong. And the condition is becoming increasingly common worldwide.
Helminths are worms that can live in the human intestine. Joel Weinstock, a gastroenterologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, studies how they affect inflammation and the body's immune response. He spoke to Nature about how helminths might lead to treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Gene exploration is providing unexpected insights into inflammatory bowel disease, and getting scientists closer to finding treatments that target the biological mechanisms.
Transplants of faecal matter have done wonders for the treatment of certain gastrointestinal infections. Will they ever work for inflammatory bowel disease?
Many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) also have mental health issues. Eva Szigethy, a psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, studies how cognitive therapy can help people with gastrointestinal problems. She spoke to Nature about the relationship between mental health and IBD.