New Clinical Trial Testing if Dietary Changes Can Help Patients with Crohn's Disease

Wynnewood, PA, April 26, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The research group of Dr. James Michael Mullin, Professor at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR), is conducting a clinical trial for patients with Crohn’s Disease. Crohn’s disease is a chronic disorder that belongs to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly the small intestine and colon with symptoms such as persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.

Over one million Americans are estimated to be living with IBD with over half of those with Crohn’s disease. IBD tends to run in families so there is a genetic component involved. Additionally, it appears to affect certain ethnics groups more than others, specifically American Jews of European descent, who are four to five times more likely to develop IBD.

Past work of Dr. Mullin’s group has shown that dietary restriction of the amino acid methionine can improve the junctional seals between epithelial cells. This holds the promise that dietary restriction of methionine may be able to improve intestinal linings of Crohn’s patients, thereby reducing their disease symptoms. Currently, Dr. Mullin is conducting a clinical trial to test this hypothesis through support from the Broad Medical Research Program of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation in Los Angeles, CA. This trial is currently recruiting patients who have mild to moderate forms of the disease and are between the ages of 18 to 85. There are certain exclusions. To learn more, contact Yvette Mercer at 610-645-2708 or MercerY@mlhs.org.

A Delaware County resident, James Michael Mullin, PhD joined the LIMR staff in 1986 after serving as a research associate at the Wistar Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Pennsylvania and his B.S. from St. Joseph’s College. He completed Postdoctoral Fellowships at both the Wistar Institute and Yale University. In addition to his work at LIMR, Dr. Mullin also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology at St. Joseph's University and Director of Research, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Lankenau Hospital.

Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
Founded in 1927, the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research center located in suburban Philadelphia on the campus of the Lankenau Hospital. Part of Main Line Health, LIMR is one of the few freestanding, hospital-associated medical research centers in the nation. The faculty and staff at the Institute are dedicated to advancing an understanding of the causes of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. They use this information to help improve diagnosis and treatment of these diseases as well as find ways to prevent them. They are also committed to extending the boundaries of human health and well-being through technology transfer and the training of the next generation of scientists and physicians. For more information visit our web site at www.limr.org.

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