Repurposed cancer drugs may help repair gut barrier in Crohn's disease

University of Houston biologists have contributed to a potential breakthrough in treating Crohn's disease by shifting the clinical focus from symptom management to addressing a primary underlying cause of the condition. Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting approximately a million Americans, involves a cycle where the immune system attacks the epithelial lining, disrupting the "gut barrier." When this lining is damaged and fails to repair itself, the barrier is lost and bacteria and toxins leak into the body, fueling chronic inflammation and disease progression.