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VIDEO: Expert discusses breath testing, microbiome link in IBS
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CHICAGO — In this exclusive video from Digestive Disease Week, Mark Pimentel, MD, executive director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology program at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, discusses new developments in understanding the relationship between irritable bowel syndrome and the gut microbiome, and specifically developments in breath testing and emerging microbiome therapeutics shared at the meeting.
“At this meeting we’re presenting more data about the relevance of methane in constipation, but more importantly, multiple groups at this meeting have shown exactly the same results,” he said. “[What’s] really interesting is that there are mechanistic developments at this DDW ... the methane is somehow doing something locally to the enteric neurons to cause this resistive force that causes constipation. We also know if you get rid of the methane, you can make the constipation disappear; another product that’s emerging is a product that inhibits methane production, so it’s like a drug for the bug.”
Further, Pimentel touched on additional research showing that “diarrhea is proportional to the amount of hydrogen sulfide seen on breath testing,” which could lead to future therapeutics.
Reference:
Lin E, et al. Abstract #1102. Presented at: Digestive Disease Week; May 6-9, 2017; Chicago.
Pimentel M, et al. Sp985. Presented at: Digestive Disease Week; May 6-9, 2017; Chicago.
Disclosures: Pimentel reports financial relationships with Synthetic Biologics, Salix, Naia Pharmaceuticals, Commonwealth Diagnostics International and Valeant.