They prove that living with dogs during childhood can improve intestinal health and reduce the risk of developing Crohn’s disease, a finding that opens new avenues for the prevention of this inflammatory condition.
Dog lovers are well aware of the many benefits of having a canine companion, although they probably have not thought that one of them is enjoying better intestinal health. However, new research from Sinai Health and the University of Toronto suggests that contact with dogs during childhood is linked to beneficial changes in gut bacteria, intestinal permeability, and certain biomarkers in the blood.
The study has been published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and reveals that living with a dog between the ages of 5 and 15 is associated with a healthier gut microbiome and a lower risk of developing Crohn’s disease. The team of researchers examined how a variety of environmental factors influence the risk of developing Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel condition, with the goal of being able to predict who is at risk and guide future prevention strategies.
“The idea of predicting someone’s risk of disease is that it allows you to identify those who you could help to try to prevent the disease,” explained Kenneth Croitoru, a professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and a clinical scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, who led the study together with Williams Turpin of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Environmental factors involved in intestinal health
Although the study does not clarify why living with a dog decreases the likelihood of developing Crohn’s, Croitoru points out that associations have been identified between certain environmental factors and the disease. Now it is about understanding how these factors influence its appearance, adds the specialist. Research also found that growing up in a large family during the first year of life reduces the risk of developing Crohn’s. Interestingly, those who lived with a bird at the time of the study were more likely to develop the disease.
Crohn’s disease is characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and has significant consequences for general health and well-being. Although genetic factors significantly influence the risk of developing Crohn’s, the environment also plays an important role, Croitoru mentions. Although we cannot modify our genetics, we can adjust our environment and diet to reduce the likelihood of the disease appearing.
These discoveries are part of the GEM (Genetics, Environmental and Microbial) Project, the largest study of its kind, which seeks to identify possible triggers of Crohn’s disease. Since 2008, the project has collected medical and lifestyle data from more than 5,000 close relatives of people with Crohn’s in different parts of the world, including Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“By integrating genetic, environmental and microbial data, personalized intervention strategies could be developed to reduce the incidence of Crohn’s disease”
The project is supported by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Helmsley Charitable Foundation and in the 15 years the study has been running, more than 120 people have developed the disease. “By understanding what differentiates those who develop the disease, we should be able to predict who is at risk,” says Croitoru.
In previous studies, the team had already identified differences in the microbiome and other biomarkers between those who develop Crohn’s and those who do not. In a recent report published in Gastroenterology, Sun-Ho Lee, a clinical scientist at the Mount Sinai Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, used data and machine learning to develop an “integrated risk index” that highly accurately predicts Crohn’s risk. .
However, predicting risk is only the first step, says Croitoru, whose ultimate goal is to intervene to prevent the disease. His team is currently researching prevention strategies, such as adding supplements to the diet that promote a healthy microbiome.
“Sinai Health is committed to innovative research and bringing those discoveries to patients,” said Anne-Claude Gingras, director of LTRI and vice president of research at Sinai Health. “By integrating genetic, environmental and microbial data, Dr. Croitoru and his team are paving the way toward personalized intervention strategies that could significantly reduce the incidence of Crohn’s disease,” concludes the expert.
