ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Chinese researchers say a new kind of bacteria-packed pill can quickly detect gastrointestinal disease and has the potential to replace invasive colonoscopies in screening for ulcerative colitis and other gut maladies.
The results of a mouse study published this week in an American Chemical Society journal are raising hopes that timely and accurate diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis and Crohn's disease could be performed non-invasively in the future.
Colonoscopies, in which a flexible tube fitted with a camera is inserted into the rectum, are now considered the gold standard for IBD detection and are prized for their ability to provide direct visualization of the lining of the bowel and to find any intestinal bleeding associated with colitis or Crohn's.
And even though doctors warn the procedures are especially vital in helping to avoid intestinal surgery, many patients dread them -- including the preparation -- as uncomfortable and time-consuming.
Recent advances, however, may help those with IBD, which is estimated to affect between 2.4 and 3.1 people per million in the United States.
