A team of researchers from University College of London has created innovative “carbon pearls” That allow you to restore liver and intestinal health. The drug, tested for the moment only on animal guinea pigs, would be capable of drastically reduce the number of bad bacteria and therefore inflammation. According to scientists, thanks to the discovery it will finally be possible It is possible to reverse the damage caused by liver cirrhosis and other serious intestinal health problems. The study, whose results were published on the pages Gut, is based on testing carbon beads licensed from UCL spinout Yaqrit. According to the researchers, the drug also offers significant benefits for kidney health and the brain. Although human trials have not yet begun, UCL experts are convinced that the “pearls” will prove to be totally safe for human use too. However, the next step will be a large test on human volunteers, and once these have been completed, it could be marketed for the treatment of diseases linked to poor intestinal health.
“The influence of the gut microbiome on health – highlights senior author, Professor Rajiv Jalan, researchers at the UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health – is just starting to be understood. When the balance of the microbiome is unstable, ‘bad’ bacteria can proliferate and compete with ‘good’ bacteria which have the task of keeping the intestine healthy. One of the ways they do this is by excreting endotoxins, toxic metabolites, and cytokines that transform the gut environment to make it more conducive to good bacteria. These substances, in particular endotoxin, they can trigger intestinal inflammation and increase the permeability of the intestinethe intestinal wall, resulting in damage to other organs such as the liver, kidneys and brain.”
But carbon pearls would also seem to represent the solution against liver diseases, cirrhosis first and foremost, which affect the lives of approximately 110 million people around the world. “In cirrhosis, a condition characterized by scarring of the liver, it is known that the inflammation caused by endotoxins can exacerbate liver damage – adds the expert -. Part of the standard treatment for cirrhosis is antibiotics aimed at controlling bad bacteria, but this carries the risk of antibiotic resistance and is used only in advanced stage disease.” The problem was overcome in an “almost trivial” way with microscopic carbon pearls to be taken orally. “They have a special physical structure designed to absorb large and small molecules in the intestine,” explains Rajiv. Researchers, who tested the effectiveness of carbon beads on gut health, found that daily intake for a prolonged period of several weeks prevents the progression of scars and liver lesions in animals with cirrhosis, reducing mortality in animals with acute or chronic liver failure (ACLF).
A first human test was conducted on a small number of volunteers (28) suffering from cirrhosis. No problems were highlighted in all subjects, with the exception of limited cases with negligible side effects. If the same benefits observed in animal models occur in humans, the beads would become a valuable pharmacological tool for the treatment of liver disease as well as other conditions associated with poor microbiome health. “Our new carbon pearls – highlighted Michal Kowalski, vice president of Yaqrit – they are smaller than a grain of salt. They work by absorbing endotoxins and other metabolites produced by ‘bad’ bacteria in the gut, creating a better environment for good bacteria to thrive. That is prevents these toxins from entering other areas of the body, causing damage, as they do in cirrhosis. The results in animal models are very positive, with reduction in intestinal permeability, liver damage and brain and kidney dysfunction.”
Source:
MedicalXPress
April 15, 2024
Tags: Goodbye liver intestinal diseases special carbon pearls guarantee functionality health
