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The pill you swallow to ease bowel trouble

A pill that shines a light into the gut is being used to treat bowel conditions. The swallowable tablet is being trialled in patients.

It contains mini spotlights that are designed to illuminate and heal damaged and inflamed tissue as the pill passes naturally through the system.

It has been developed to treat inflammatory bowel disease, a group of chronic diseases associated with inflammation of the gut lining.

The new method is based on light therapy where tissue is exposed to different colours of light

The main two are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which affect up to 160,000 people in Britain (ulcerative colitis is a condition of the large intestine, while Crohn’s can affect the entire digestive system).

Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation, weight loss and extreme tiredness

The causes are not understood, though they are thought to be autoimmune diseases, where the immune system attacks the gut lining.

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Treatments include corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and immuno- suppressants, which block the malfunctioning activities of the immune system.

If the condition does not respond to medication, the affected part of the bowel may be surgically removed.

The new approach is based on light therapy, also called phototherapy, where tissue is exposed to different colours of light (red, blue and ultraviolet have been shown to be most effective).

Previous research has suggested light can dampen inflammation and encourage healing, though how exactly is unclear.

Phototherapy is carried out for a range of external conditions, including acne, psoriasis, eczema, wounds and gum disease.

Recent animal studies have suggested that bathing the intestines in light can reduce inflammation.

Furthermore, researchers in the Netherlands are looking at whether passing red light through the rectum can reduce inflammation.

In another trial being carried out at the Academic Medical Centre in  Amsterdam, 18 patients will be given the ‘spotlight’ pill.

The patient swallows the pill, which is around 1 cm long, and as it passes through the gut it illuminates the inflamed areas of tissue with red and blue light.

Before giving each patient the pill, scientists analyse how long it takes food to pass through a person’s digestive system and then programme the light to switch on at specific times so the correct area of the gut is targeted.

The light sources are arranged in a ring so that light can be displayed through 360 degrees, allowing all tissue to be illuminated.

The scientists are investigating whether it can be used for irritable bowel syndrome.Commenting on the device, Dr Chris Fraser, a gastroenterologist at St Mark’s Hospital, Harrow, said: ‘Using a pill to shine light into the gastrointestinal tract as a potential form of therapy for inflamed tissues is a wonderfully simple concept.

‘If found to be helpful, it will be of great interest to the medical and patient communities. We look forward to the results of the first human clinical trials.’

A torch-like device that clips on to the waistband can help patients with Parkinson's disease

Meanwhile, scientists have developed a torch-like device that clips on to the waistband that helps patients with Parkinson’s disease remain mobile.

Those with the neurological condition often suffer from ‘freezing’ episodes while walking. The torch detects these episodes, and shines a spotlight on the floor in front of them.

Research suggests this provides the brain with a target and helps to get the patient moving again.

The gadget, called Agilitas, has sensors that detect when the wearer begins to shuffle, which suggests a freezing episode is about to occur. It then shines a laser that appears as a small red dot on the ground a few feet in front of them.

Australian scientists devised the belt torch after studies showed giving the brain a fixed point to walk towards helps get the body moving again. It’s unclear how this works, but it’s thought to trigger visual areas in the brain that help activate the areas responsible for movement.

 


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