UEGResearchPrizepromotesdevelopmentofanewtherapyforchronicinflammatoryboweldiseases
Thisyear,theEuropeanumbrellaassociationforgastroenterologyawardeditsprestigiousresearchprizetoProfessorStefanSchreibertopromoteresearchintotherapeuticmechanismsofnicotinamideinchronicinflammatoryboweldiseases.
TheUnitedEuropeanGastroenterology(UEG),theumbrellaassociationofEuropeanspecialistsocietiesforgastroenterology,awardeditsrenownedUEGResearchPrize2020toProfessorStefanSchreiber,spokespersonoftheClusterofExcellencePrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation(PMI).Withthisprize,theUEGwillprovidefundingof100,000forSchreibersresearchprojectoninvestigatingtherapeuticmechanismsofnicotinamideinpeoplewithchronicinflammatoryboweldiseases.TheprizewasawardedonSunday,October11,withintheframeworkofthevirtualconferenceUEGWeekVirtual2020. Schreiber,DirectoroftheInstituteofClinicalMolecularBiology(IKMB)atKielUniversityandDirectoroftheDepartmentofInternalMedicineIattheUniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH),Kielcampus,planstousethefundingtotaketherequiredstepstowardsdevelopinganewbasictreatmentforchronicinflammatoryboweldiseases.
PatientswithchronicinflammatoryboweldiseasessuchasCrohn'sdiseaseandulcerativecolitissufferfromfrequentdiarrhea,feverandpain,aswellaspsychologicalstress.Adisturbedimmuneresponseleadstoachronicinflammationofthegastrointestinaltract,whichflaresupagainandagaininbursts.SchreiberandcolleaguesfromtheClusterofExcellencehadshowninpreviousinvestigationsthatalackoftheaminoacidtryptophananditsmetabolites,suchasnicotinamide(aformofthevitaminB3),promotedbowelinflammationinmiceandthatpatientswithchronicinflammatoryboweldiseasesalsooftensufferfromalackoftryptophan-becausetryptophanlevelsarereducedbythedisease.Intheanimalmodel,targetedadministrationofnicotinamidecanreducebowelinflammationifitcanbeintroducedtothelargeintestinethroughspecialreleasemechanisms.
NowSchreiberandhiscolleaguesplantoinvestigatewhethertheseobservationscanbetranslatedtohumansandwhethernicotinamidecanreduceinflammationandpreventfurtherflare-upsinhumans,too.Aclinicalstudytoinvestigatetheeffectivenessofnicotinamideinpatientswithulcerativecolitisistostartshortly.Alongsidethisclinicalstudy,SchreiberwouldliketousetheprojectfundedbytheUEGResearchPrizetoinvestigatethemechanismsactivatedbyadministeringnicotinamideinchronicbowelinflammationingreaterdetail.
Whatisspecialaboutnicotinamideasapotentialmedicineforchronicbowelinflammationisthatitisalreadyusedasafoodsupplementandassuchhasproventobesafeandfreeofsideeffects,saidSchreiber.Atthesametime,itischeaptomanufacture,especiallycomparedtotreatmentoptionsforchronicbowelinflammationavailabletodate,continuedSchreiber.
However,theforminwhichnicotinamideiscurrentlyingestedasafoodsupplementorthroughfoodisnotsuitableforuseagainstbowelinflammation,asheretheactiveagentisabsorbedinthestomachoruppersmallintestine.Inflammationinulcerativecolitis,however,occursinthelargeintestineandinCrohnsdiseaseinthelowersmallintestineorlargeintestine.Schreiberandhiscolleagueshavethereforedevelopedatabletthatdelaysthereleaseofnicotinamideuntilitisinthelowersmallintestineandinthelargeintestinei.e.wheretheinflammationandmostofthebowelbacteriacanbefound.Thesebacteria,accordingtotheresearchersoftheClusterofExcellencePMI,playanimportantroleininflammation.
IamverypleasedabouttheUEGResearchPrize.ItwillsupportusinoureffortstobringmanyyearsofresearchbytheClusterofExcellencePMIontheinfluenceofnicotinamideinchronicbowelinflammationtoclinicalapplication,saidSchreiber.Ifweunderstandthemechanismsbywhichnicotinamideisactivatedmoreprecisely,wewillbeabletomakebetterpredictionsinfutureabout,forexample,whichpatientswillparticularlybenefitfromtheadministrationoftheagent.Thatwouldbeanimportantsteptowardscreatingprecisionmedicine,i.e.targetedindividualmedicine,continuedSchreiber.
Contact:
Prof.Dr.StefanSchreiber
DepartmentofInternalMedicineI,UKSH
InstituteofClinicalMolecularBiology,KielUniversity,UKSH
0431/500-15101
s.schreiber@mucosa.de
Prof.Dr.StefanSchreiber,SpokespersonoftheClusterofExcellencePMI,DirectoroftheInstituteforClinicalMolecularBiology,KielUniversityandUKSH,andDirectoroftheClinicforInternalMedicineI,UKSH,CampusKiel.
AbouttheClusterofExcellencePMI
TheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"(PMI)isbeingfundedfrom2019to2025throughtheGermanExcellenceStrategy(ExStra).Itsucceedsthe"InflammationatInterfacesCluster,whichwasalreadyfundedintwoperiodsoftheExcellenceInitiative(2007-2018).Around300membersfromeightinstitutionsatfourlocationsareinvolved:Kiel(KielUniversity,UniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH),MuthesiusUniversityofFineArtsandDesign,KielInstitutefortheWorldEconomy(IfW),LeibnizInstituteforScienceandMathematicsEducation(IPN)),Lbeck(UniversityofLbeck,UniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH)),Pln(MaxPlanckInstituteforEvolutionaryBiology)andBorstel(ResearchCenterBorstel-LeibnizLungCenter).
Thegoalistotranslateinterdisciplinaryresearchfindingsonchronicinflammatorydiseasesofbarrierorganstohealthcaremoreintensively,aswellastofulfilpreviouslyunsatisfiedneedsofthepatients.Threepointsareimportantinthecontextofsuccessfultreatment,andarethereforeattheheartofPMIresearch:theearlydetectionofchronicinflammatorydiseases,thepredictionofdiseaseprogressionandcomplications,andthepredictionofindividualresponsestotreatment.
Pressoffice
fbuhse@uv.uni-kiel.de+49(0)431/8804682https://precisionmedicine.de
ClusterofExcellence "PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"
ScientificOffice
Head:Dr.habil.SusanneHolsteinPostal
Christian-Albrechts-Platz4,24118Kiel,Germany
Contact:SonjaPetermann
 +49(0)431880-4850,fax:+49(0)431880-4894
spetermann@uv.uni-kiel.de
Twitter:PMI@medinflame
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