The present invention relates to a method of treating the established colitis of an inflammatory bowel disease by inhibiting the colitis-inducing effects of the cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12). In particular, the present invention provides a method for treating an established colitis, especially by administering antibodies against IL-12. Further provided is a method for screening substances for their effectiveness in reducing the inflammatory response of an established colitis and preventing inflammatory bowel disease in a mouse model.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are idiopathic chronic diseases occurring with increasing frequency in Western populations (1, 2). Recently, various animal models of chronic intestinal inflammation have been established which will likely provide new insights into the pathogenesis of IBD (3). These include mice carrying transgenes of HLA-B27 and ?2-microglobulin (4) and mice in which the genes for interleulin-2 (IL-2) (5), interleukin-10 (IL-10) (6) and the alpha or beta chain of the T cell receptor (7) have been inactivated by homologous recombination. In addition, a colitis model has been recently established by the adoptive transfer of normal CD45RBhi T cells from BALB/c mice to C.B.-17 scid mice wherein the transferred T cells manifest a Thl cytokine response associated with granulomatous inflammation. This experimental colitis can be prevented by systemic administration of anti-interferon-gamma (anti-IFN-?) (two doses) and by systemic, daily administration of recombinant IL-10 (rIL10), given at the same time disease is induced, but not with recombinant interleukin-4 (rIL4) (8). However, treatment of established IBD using these methodologies was not suggested. The observation that administration of IL-10, a product of Th2 cell differentiation, but not IL-4, which is also a product of Th2 cell differentiation, can prevent experminental colitis underscores the unpredictability of administering cytolines to prevent or treat IBD.

IL-12 is a recently characterized cytokine with unique structure and pleiotropic effects (9-12). It consists of two disulfide-linked subunits, p40 and p35, that form functionally active p40/p35 heterodimers or inhibitory p40 homodirners. IL-12 is produced mainly by macrophages/ monocytes and can be efficiently induced by intracellular parasites, bacteria and bacterial products. Functional studies have shown that IL-12 enhances cytolytic activity of natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages and induces, in synergism with the B7/CD28 interaction, cytokine production and proliferation of activated NK cells and T cells (13). Furthermore, IL-12 plays a pivotal role in Th1 T cell differentiation and induces naive T cells to produce IFN-?. As a result of this ability to drive T cell responses to the Th1 phenotype, IL-12 has been shown to be an effective treatment of established parasitic infections in mice (14, 15), which elicit a Th2 T cell response. While antibodies to IL-12 have been shown to be useful in preventing experimental autoimmune encephalitis, a disease mediated by Th1 T cells (16), these results have not been extended to the treatment of established autoimmune encephalitis. It has been shown that antibodies to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) have been employed in the treatment of CD (29). In this uncontrolled study, acute exacerbations of CD were blunted, however, patients remained steroid-dependent and disease invariably recurred within a several month period. 
The present invention provides an effective treatment for IBD that is surprisingly more effective than existing therapies. The present invention further provides a method for screening for substances effective in their ability to inhibit the colitis-inducing effect of IL-12. 
 

There are also herbal medicines which can very effectively treat colitis & ulcerative colitis. Boswellia is an Ayurvedic  (Indian traditional medicine) herb, used as a natural alternative to drugs. Many studies have found that the effectiveness of Boswellia is similar and even superior to sulfasalazine based prescription drugs. (Source Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulcerative_colitis. 

We recommend taking a 4 months course of our Boswellia Serrata Extract.
 
 

Total of 4 bottles-  of Boswellia - 4 Months course - Taken 2 capusles twice a day.
 
 

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