Italian scientists have made a breakthrough in research into the causes of chronic intestinal problems like Crohn's Disease.
The team from Milan's Humanitas Institute have discovered that a protein called JAM-A plays a key role in binding the cells of the stomach lining, the first-line defence against germs suspected of causing the disease.
''We have identified JAM-A's important role in the permeability of the intestinal lining,'' said lead researcher Silvio Danese.
The study, which is set to be published in the journal Gastroenterology, has shown that patients with Crohn's Disease or other chronic complaints like ulcerous rectocholitis have a ''scant'' supply of JAM-A in their stomach linings.
''This lack permits the passage of toxic substances and bacteria which get into the mucous layers and increase inflammation,'' Danese said.
Studies are already under way to produce JAM-A boosters to strengthen intestinal barriers, he said.
Chronic intestinal conditions like Crohn's and ulcerous rectocholitis affect more than four million people worldwide, 200,000 of them in Italy.
The underlying causes of these diseases is still unknown but the prevalent hypothesis is an abnormal immune reaction to intestinal bacteria.
