Paul Zarogoulidis1, Ioannis Kioumis2, Theodora Tsiouda3, Nikolaos Pezirkianidis4, Christos Ritzoulis5, Haidong Huang6, Wolfgang Hohenforst-Schmidt7, Dionysios Spyratos2, Konstantinos Porpodis2, Georgia Pitsiou2, Sofia Lampaki2, John Organtzis2, Bianca Kathryn Malecki8, Sindre Ervik Saetre9, Konstantinos Zarogoulidis2, Marek Malecki10. 1. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU ; University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany, EU. 2. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU. 3. Alexander Technological Educational Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU. 4. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU ; Private Practice, Serres, Greece, EU. 5. II Military University Hospital, Shanghai, China. 6. Coburg Regional Hospital, Germany, EU. 7. Private Practice, Serres, Greece, EU. 8. Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland, EU ; Phoenix Biomolecular Engineering Foundation, San Francisco, CA, USA. 9. Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland, EU. 10. Phoenix Biomolecular Engineering Foundation, San Francisco, CA, USA ; University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and Crohn's Disease (CD) manifest as various, multiple symptoms from malfunctioning and/or damaged gastrointestinal tract, which plague the patients. These symptoms result from the dysfunctional expression products of the specific mutations of the genes, which either manifest upon birth (CF) or later in life in immuno-genetically susceptible individuals as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). They all may potentially lead to malnutrition of the patients. Since only correcting the mutated genes, may cure these diseases permanently, the works on the future safe gene therapies continue vigorously. However, provision of the necessary nutrients to the suffering patients is the requirement for an effective, supportive care at present. In this realm, we have developed a model of the diseased gastrointestinal tract aimed to guide designing and testing various nutritional therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is well known that inflammatory bowel diseases induce crypts within the patients' gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, we have bioengineered, a novel, three-dimensional model of the gastrointestinal tract to evaluate the rheology of different types of nutrients. The model was assembled out of the bio-inert polymer tube with openings leading to vials of different shapes and sizes, as the simulation of the gastrointestinal tract altered by the diseases to contain multiple crypts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed three-dimensional model effectively simulates the structure and functions of the gastrointestinal tract of the patients with mild and severe Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. This model should allow us to design and test different nutritional supplements, with properties complementing the pathologically altered by the diseases functionalities of the patients' gastrointestinal tracts. Therefore, it should help us to design the effective supportive therapies; thus to prevent the patients' malnutrition.
INTRODUCTION:Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and Crohn's Disease (CD) manifest as various, multiple symptoms from malfunctioning and/or damaged gastrointestinal tract, which plague the patients. These symptoms result from the dysfunctional expression products of the specific mutations of the genes, which either manifest upon birth (CF) or later in life in immuno-genetically susceptible individuals as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). They all may potentially lead to malnutrition of the patients. Since only correcting the mutated genes, may cure these diseases permanently, the works on the future safe gene therapies continue vigorously. However, provision of the necessary nutrients to the suffering patients is the requirement for an effective, supportive care at present. In this realm, we have developed a model of the diseased gastrointestinal tract aimed to guide designing and testing various nutritional therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is well known that inflammatory bowel diseases induce crypts within the patients' gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, we have bioengineered, a novel, three-dimensional model of the gastrointestinal tract to evaluate the rheology of different types of nutrients. The model was assembled out of the bio-inert polymer tube with openings leading to vials of different shapes and sizes, as the simulation of the gastrointestinal tract altered by the diseases to contain multiple crypts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed three-dimensional model effectively simulates the structure and functions of the gastrointestinal tract of the patients with mild and severe Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. This model should allow us to design and test different nutritional supplements, with properties complementing the pathologically altered by the diseases functionalities of the patients' gastrointestinal tracts. Therefore, it should help us to design the effective supportive therapies; thus to prevent the patients' malnutrition.
Authors: Patrick A Flume; Peter J Mogayzel; Karen A Robinson; Randall L Rosenblatt; Lynne Quittell; Bruce C Marshall Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2010-08-01 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: Martin Baumgart; Belgin Dogan; Mark Rishniw; Gil Weitzman; Brian Bosworth; Rhonda Yantiss; Renato H Orsi; Martin Wiedmann; Patrick McDonough; Sung Guk Kim; Douglas Berg; Ynte Schukken; Ellen Scherl; Kenneth W Simpson Journal: ISME J Date: 2007-07-12 Impact factor: 10.302
Authors: Andrew P Cuthbert; Sheila A Fisher; Muddassar M Mirza; Kathy King; Jochen Hampe; Peter J P Croucher; Silvia Mascheretti; Jeremy Sanderson; Alastair Forbes; John Mansfield; Stefan Schreiber; Cathryn M Lewis; Christopher G Mathew Journal: Gastroenterology Date: 2002-04 Impact factor: 22.682