Debaryomyces species as an indicator of non-healing ulcers in Crohn's disease
AssigneeWashington University
InventorsThaddeus Stappenbeck, Umang Jain
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Abstract
Methods for treating, selecting a treatment, and monitoring a treatment for an inflammatory bowel disease in a patient in need are disclosed. Treatments include administering an antifungal compound. The method for selecting and monitoring a treatment includes detecting a biomarker indicative of an amount of the fungus Debaryomyces hansenii within the sample. The treatment is administered if the biomarker is above a threshold level and the biomarker may be monitored before and during treatment. Biomarkers include abundance of fungal DNA in the patient's gut microbiota and anti-fungal antibodies in the blood of the patient.
Claims5
A method for treating Crohn's disease in a human patient with symptoms of Crohn's disease comprising:
- a) detecting at least one of the following:
- i) the presence of Debaryomyces hansenii deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences in a sample, or a culture thereof, obtained from said patient, wherein said sample comprises an inflamed intestinal biopsy sample, or an inflamed excised intestinal tissue sample, and
- ii) concentration of antibodies against Debaryomyces hansenii in a blood or serum sample obtained from said patient that is higher than the average concentration in a blood or serum sample obtained from healthy controls;
- and
- b) administering a therapeutically effective amount of an antifungal compound to the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.