Biography
Biography: Dr.Hala Salah El Wakil
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become a global emergence disease. Its incidence and prevalence in developing countries is progressively rising and has been attributed to the rapid modernization of the population. In addition, it is evidenced that IBD is now affecting a much younger population. Meta-analyses conducted in patients acquiring IBD at a young age reveals a trend for their increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Only 50% of patients reach sustained remission with the standards therapy for IBD. In addition to the side effects caused by this treatment. Recent evidence strongly suggests that dysfunctional immune responses play an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD. Therefore, immunologically downregulating the over activated innate and adaptive immune responses may be a better approach to treat IBD than currently used pharmaceutical therapies. Recently, biological therapy which include administration of monoclonal antibodies (m Abs) against cytokines, have been emerged as an effective therapeutic approach. These agents cost thousands of dollars per patient per year. The healthcare systems, and certainly the patients, in developing countries can’t afford such expensive treatments. In the same context, the ability of helminths to alter and/or suppress immune responses could be beneficial to the host by helping control excessive inflammatory responses. Animal models and pre-clinical trials have all suggested a beneficial effect of helminth infections on inflammatory bowel conditions. Although therapy with living helminths appears to be effective in IBD, the disadvantages of a treatment based on living parasites can't be excluded. Using parasite extracts which mimic the disease allows greater flexibility in dosing routes and therapeutic applications. These Immunologically active helminth molecules could soon result in new therapies for patients with IBD.