Its main cause Crohn’s diseaseof inflammatory bowel disease was discovered by British scientists.

In particular, as reported by the BBC, they identified a weak point in the DNA which occurs in 95% of people with the disease.

This weakness makes it much easier for certain immune cells to wear out, resulting in very intense inflammation in the intestines.

The team found that drugs that already exist seem to reverse the disease in lab experiments and are now targeting human trials.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. They are estimated to affect half a million people in the UK.

They often begin in adolescence or early adulthood.

Lauren Golightly, who is now 27, had her first symptoms when she was 16.

She was suffering from stomach cramps and was seeing blood in her stool.

When he was 21 and after surgery to remove his appendix, doctors realized he had Crohn’s disease.

Three years ago she needed an emergency colostomy after part of her bowel had disintegrated and she still has to take a lot of painkillers because of the number of operations she had to do.

“It is not the life I would aspire to live“, says.

The disease

Part of the immune system that is largely related to the disease are the white blood cells called macrophages.

These flood the folds of the intestines where they release chemicals – called cytokines – leading to massive inflammation.

Inflammation is part of the body’s normal response to infection, but when it goes on for too long, it can have devastating health consequences.

The team of researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London carried out an extensive genetic analysis to try to unravel the causes of the disease.

They discovered a segment of genetic code – or DNA – turns out to be the “master regulator” of macrophage inflammation.

It’s right at the “top of the pyramid,” says Dr. James Lee, of the Francis Crick Institute.

The gene controls the range of inflammatory chemicals that macrophages release, and some people are born with a version that makes their bodies prone to overreacting.

“This is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why some people develop inflammatory bowel disease. It is a phenomenon in which one of the most important cells that causes inflammatory bowel disease malfunctions» says Dr. Lee characteristically.