New ICG article published in Gut on the impact of environmental pollutants in IBD

Exciting news!

In yet another collaboration with international research teams, Pinho’s lab has contributed to a recently published systematic review. This study, published in the journal Gut, focuses on how environmental pollutants influence the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease as well as disease outcomes. In total, information from a total of 32 human studies was utilized, allowing for a consolidation of the current knowledge on how escalating pollution levels relate to the increasing incidence of IBD globally. Notably, exposure to air pollutants such as pesticides and polyfluorinated substances was not only associated with increased risk of IBD but also to worse disease outcomes. Pre-clinical data from in vitro and in vivo studies was also gathered, highlighting how systemic inflammation, dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability may drive these associations.

This work advances several novel contributors to IBD incidence and their influence on disease progression, thus standing as an important step in identifying and mitigating risk factors as well as in developing improved strategies for the prediction and prevention of IBD.