Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, runs in families and now researchers may have a clearer understanding why this occurs.
In a large, international study, researchers demonstrated, for the first time that a person’s genetic makeup might influence intestinal bacteria that cause IBD. The study also confirmed that antibiotics can worsen the imbalance in the gut microbes, exacerbating digestive problems.
The researchers examined three independent studies of 474 adults with IBD who live in Boston, Toronto, and Groningen, Netherlands. Doctors and nurses in those locations collected samples of DNA from the tissue of each person along with DNA from their intestinal bacteria.
Findings showed that the subjects’ own DNA was linked to that of the bacteria in their intestines. Patients with IBD had lower biodiversity of bacteria and more opportunistic bacteria.
This discovery, published in Genome Medicine, could play an important role in developing drug treatments for IBD, the researchers said.
© 2026 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.