Does gut fungi play a role in Crohn’s Disease in children?

What did this research look at? 

Recent studies suggest that fungi which typically live in the gut (known as the mycobiome), play a role in Crohn’s Disease. This study aimed to understand the role of the mycobiome.  To do this the research team used stool samples to look at the mycobiome in children with and without Crohn’s and explored how this changes with treatment with a liquid diet 

They found there were significant differences between the types of fungi present in the two groups. They also found that after children with Crohn’s were treated with a liquid diet, the fungi in their gut changed even further but this effect was not the same among the participants. 

Conclusion 

The study found that specific types of fungi were associated with CD  and some of these species changed with a treatment based on a liquid diet It is possible that  these fungi play an important role in the cause of Crohn’s Disease but future research needs to confirm these findings. 

What do the researchers think this could mean for people with IBD? 

The researchers now want to find out whether the changes following treatment with a liquid diet are associated with the way that the treatment works. They hope that at the end of their studies they will better understand the cause of Crohn’s disease. And that this will help towards the development of new treatments. 

Who is leading this research? Dr Konstantinos Gerasimidis, University of Glasgow
Project cost: £9,980 (jointly funded by BSPGHAN)
Duration: 12 months
Official title of application: Exploring the inter-kingdom relationships of gut mircobiota in Crohn’s Disease (PSG16-4)