Spanish Breakthrough in Crohn’s Disease Treatment

Spanish breakthrough in Crohn’s disease treatment. Crohn’s is a disease which affects both expats and Spanish alike and it is thought that in Spain some 300,000 people are currently suffering with the inflammatory bowel disease.

THERE has now been a Spanish breakthrough in the treatment of Crohn’s disease which has been labelled as a milestone discovery. Crohn’s along with ulcerative colitis which is another inflammatory bowel disease can be disabling to people who are affected. The disease is now being diagnosed in increasingly younger people, but it can appear at any stage of life.

Speaking of Crohn’s disease, the Spanish Foundation of the Digestive System (FEAD) explained some of the factors involved with the disease and said, “Crohn’s disease can appear at any stage of life, especially in young people between the ages of 15-35. The cause of this disease is not known, but everything suggests that there are multiple factors involved in its origin: genetic, immune system and environmental.”

The new treatment has been tested out at Barcelona’s Hospital Quirónsalud and the amazing treatment involves a drug which has been developed from stem cells according to La Vanguardia.

Speaking of the treatment Dr Antonio De Lacy, head of the General and Digestive Surgery Department at Hospital Quirónsalud Barcelona explained how each individual patient will receive personalised treatment.

He explained that, “This therapy involves a special logistical process because it is a ‘live drug’. Its administration is carried out in the operating theatre by surgeons specialised in allogeneic cell therapy and involves a high level of coordination between the multidisciplinary team.”

The breakthrough treatment is said to involve a minimally invasive surgical procedure and it is hoped that the treatment will help many people in the future.

Crohn’s disease can have a dramatic effect on people’s lives and according to Dr De Lacy the “Digestive symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea and tiredness, as well as weight loss, although aphthae or oral ulcers, skin alterations, eye inflammation and anal problems such as fistulas or abscesses can also occur.”