Discoveries Reshape Understanding of Microbiome + Research Predicts RA Patients Respond to Treatment

Discoveries Reshape Understanding of Gut Microbiome + New Research Predicts Whether Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Will Respond to Treatment w/ Dr. Lijun Xia, M.D., Ph.D. – Dr. Jesmond Dalli Ph.D.

The human gut is home to microorganisms that outnumber our cells by a factor of 10 to 1. Now, discoveries by scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have redefined how the so-called gut microbiome operates and how our bodies coexist with some of the 100 trillion bacteria that make it up. The new findings appear in the journal Science and could lead to new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and people who've had portions of their bowels removed due to conditions like colon cancer and ulcerative colitis. They also help explain why the use of antibiotics can create a multitude of problems in the digestive system. PLUS A new study led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London provides potential novel biomarkers for predicting patient responsiveness to disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients are commonly treated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) despite the fact that up to 50% of patients are unresponsive to treatment. Up until now, there has been no way to find out whether a patient will effectively respond to treatment.