Thanks to Ben Gold for this reference: Y. Zhulina et al. Aliment Pharm Ther 2016; 44: 495-504.

Methods: 

• Patients aged 18 years or older, with a known diagnosis of IBD in clinical remission, were prospectively studied. Patients provided faecal samples every third month and were prospectively followed until the first clinical relapse or the end of the 2-year follow-up period.  
• Relapse was defined as increasing symptoms necessitating intensified medical therapy or surgery.

Key finding:

• Among 104 patients, Crohn’s disease (n = 49) and ulcerative colitis (n = 55), 37 had a relapse. A doubling of faecal calprotectin level between two consecutively collected samples was associated with a 101% increased risk of relapse (HR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.53–2.65; P < 0.001).

My take: Another study showing that stool calprotectin is quite useful. How long will it be until I will not need to write letters to insurance companies to get this test covered?

Also noted in the same issue: 
“The safety of autologous and metabolically fit bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells in medically refractory Crohn’s disease – a phase 1 trial with three doses” (pages 471–481) T. Dhere, I. Copland, M. Garcia, K. Y. Chiang, R. Chinnadurai, M. Prasad, J. Galipeau and S. Kugathasan. Aliment Pharm Ther 2016; 44: 471-81. This study examined the use of mesenchymal stromal cells in 12 patients.

In conclusion, a single infusion of fresh autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells propagated ex vivo using a non xenogeneic human platelet lysate growth supplement at doses ranging 2–10 million cell/kg BW was well tolerated in patients with medically refractory moderate to severe Crohn’s disease in this preliminary study. Our data neither addressed long-term safety nor sustained efficacy. However, this study informs that a future phase 2 study 

A previous study of mesenchymal stromal cells was briefly discussed in a previous blog: Sanjay Gupta is Wrong…about Stem Cell Therapy

Related blog posts:

• Best Fecal Marker for Crohn’s Disease: Calprotectin | gutsandgrowth
• Value of Calprotectin | gutsandgrowth
• Prospective Monitoring of Calprotectin for Crohn’s Disease …

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