New hope against Crohn's

Created: Monday, February 05, 2007 Print

Another possible use has been found for naltrexone, a medication already used to relieve symptoms of alcohol and drug addiction and also being tested as an appetite suppressant.

A news release from the Penn State College of Medicine says that a low dose of naltrexone may help relieve symptoms of Crohn's disease, an inflammation of the intestine. Researchers found in a pilot study that 89 percent of the participants showed an improvement - easing of inflammation - with naltrexone and therapy, and 67 actually had their Crohn's go into remission.

The findings, published in a early edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, caused researchers to become hopeful about alternative treatments for Crohn's. The disease has been typically treated with immune-suppressing steroids or corticosteroids, and this can cause dangerous side effects.

"This is a novel approach to treating a common disease, and it's simple, it's safe, and it costs far less than current standards of treatment," the news release quotes lead researcher Dr Jill P. Smith as saying. "We don't yet know the exact mechanisms involved in how it works, but we're working on that, as well." – (HealthDayNews)

February 2007