Digestive tract diseases

The causes and origins of digestive tract diseases are still poorly known. These very widespread and sometimes invalidating conditions pose a major challenge to the scientific community. DigestScience is France's first research foundation to focus exclusively on these pathologies.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs)

Inflammatory bowel diseases include Crohn's disease and haemorrhagic rectocolitis (HRC). The incidence of these two pathologies has significantly progressed over the last 50 years and they now affect more than one in every 1000 people in industrialized countries.

These pathologies often start in young people and can have repercussions on the social, family and professional levels. Just as with cancer and diabetes, these pathologies are classified as long-term conditions (LTCs) - conditions whose seriousness and/or chronic nature notably require long-term treatment.

At present, there are no curative treatments for IBDs.

La maladie coeliaque

Coeliac disease corresponds to permanent intolerance to gluten - a protein present in most baking flours. This intolerance triggers the progressive destruction of the small intestine's microvilli, preventing the absorption of nutrients such as iron, calcium, folic acid, etc.

The most common form of the disease primarily affects children, with sometimes serious repercussions on their physical development.

At present, there is no treatment for this disease (apart from following a strict diet for life).

Irritable bowel syndrome

In France, irritable bowel syndrome is poorly characterized but affects around one in five people. It manifests itself through abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation, although the intestine does not display any visible damage.

Even though irritable bowel syndrome is not malignant, it can considerably interfere with family and professional life.

At present, there are no effective treatments available for people suffering from this syndrome.