The Gastroenterology programme is delivered by clinical and research-active academics across multiple research groups and centres at the Blizard Institute, part of Queen Mary University of London's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.
Professor James Lindsay is the Chief Investigator of a clinical trial which will use stem cell transplants to grow a new immune system for people with untreatable Crohn’s disease. Current treatments include drugs to reduce inflammation, but these have varying results, and surgery is often needed to remove the affected part of the bowel. In extreme cases, after multiple operations over the years, patients may require a final operation to divert the bowel from the anus to an opening in the stomach, called a stoma, where stools are collected in a pouch. It is hoped that by completely resetting the patient’s immune system through a stem cell transplant, it might be possible to radically alter the course of the disease. While it may not be a cure, it may allow some patients to finally respond to drugs which previously did not work. In 2019 he was recognised as one of London’s most influential people in the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list for his work in this area.
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Professor Qasim Aziz recently featured in a short film titled ‘Living with IBD: Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease’ produced by the BBC, in which he discusses the connection between the brain and the gut, and potential new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease. It follows BBC reporter Bryony Hopkins, who has lived with Crohn’s Disease for most of her life, taking part in research being conducted by Professor Qasim’s team at the Wingate Institute exploring the connection between the brain and the gut, and how this vital connection could lead to ground-breaking new treatments for conditions such as IBD. Presenter Bryony takes part in an experiment to determine how stress causes inflammation and pain in IBD, and whether stimulation of the vagus nerve can help. It is hoped that vagus nerve stimulation can evolve as a potential non-invasive, non-drug-related treatment for mild to moderate Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, and could be used to prevent patients developing moderate to severe IBD.
In a similar study using stimulation of the vagus nerve, researchers from the Wingate Institute previously demonstrated that transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation prevents the development of and/or reverses established visceral hypersensitivity in acid‐induced oesophageal pain. The findings could lead to nonpharmacological treatments of chronic pain, particularly in functional gastrointestinal disorders. A substantial proportion of patients being treated for acid reflux fail to respond to existing drug treatments such as protein-pump inhibitors used to treat heartburn and chest pain. These symptoms are mediated, in part, by oesophageal hypersensitivity. Therefore, the results from this study highlight a potential area of nonpharmacological intervention which could be beneficial to patients exhibiting these symptoms.
Dr Madusha Peiris from the Wingate Institute featured in Channel 4 programme "How to beat... Fat" where she helped 10 volunteers develop new weight loss techniques. She has devised a colon-targeted nutraceutical approach – a 'fat pill' – to promote weight loss by reducing calorie intake in obese people thereby preventing associated health complications. The nutrients were chosen because they contain medium-chain fatty acids, which are thought to trigger the colon into producing the powerful PYY hormone, which makes people feel full. Queen Mary has patented IP on the unique combination of nutrients that Dr Peiris and her team have invented. This opportunity offers the potential to safely address the global obesity problem, which costs the NHS an estimated £6Bbillion a year in the UK alone.
Professor Nick Croft has contributed to the development of clinical guidelines for the management of ambulatory ulcerative colitis (UC) in children, which continues to be challenging with around 20% of these children needing a colectomy within childhood years. The European Crohn's and Colitis Organization (ECCO) and the Paediatric IBD Porto group of European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) aimed to standardise daily treatment of paediatric UC and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)-unclassified through detailed recommendations and practice points. These guidelines provide a guide to clinicians managing children with UC and IBD-unclassified management to provide modern management strategies while maintaining vigilance around appropriate outcomes and safety issues.
Read the guidelines