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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Analyzing Beneficial Effects of Nutritional Supplements on Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Functions During Experimental Colitis
Published on: January 5, 2017
Ulcerative colitis: clinical biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and emerging treatments
Phurpa Wangchuk1, Karma Yeshi1, Alex Loukas2
1College of Public Health, Medical, and Veterinary Sciences (CPHMVS), Cairns campus, James Cook University, QLD 4878, Australia; Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), Cairns campus, James Cook University, QLD 4878, Australia.
Abstract:
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the two forms of inflammatory bowel disease. It affects 5 million people globally, and is a chronic and recurring inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract with clinical presentation of abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and weight loss. The cause and the etiology of UC remain poorly understood. There is no cure and no 'gold standard diagnostic' for UC. The existing treatments are ineffective, and UC patients have a lower life expectancy with a risk of colorectal cancer. Recent studies in pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and biomarkers have significantly improved our understanding of UC. In this review we summarize recent advances in identifying novel clinical biomarkers, diagnostics, treatment targets, and emerging therapeutics. These insights are expected to assist in developing effective treatments for UC.
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