Digestive Health Research

Lankenau Medical Center is involved in a range of clinical research activities aimed at advancing care for patients with digestive disease. Many small studies are being conducted right at the medical center, in collaborative investigations between Lankenau physicians and basic scientists at Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR). In addition, Lankenau Medical Center is a regular participant in large, multisite clinical trials spanning the scope of digestive diseases.

Go To: Barrett’s Esophagus | Celiac Disease | Colorectal Cancer | Hepatitis C | Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Barrett’s Esophagus

Effect of oral zinc on progression to cancer. Several studies in animals have shown that zinc can prevent different types of cancer, including esophageal cancer. LIMR scientists and gastroenterologists at Lankenau Medical Center are studying the potential for oral zinc (zinc lozenges) to slow the progression of Barrett’s esophagus (noncancer) to dysplasia (precancer) or adenocarcinoma (cancer). One hypothesis is that zinc may help protect against cancer formation if it can be absorbed into Barrett’s tissue. This study, which involves patients being monitored for Barrett’s esophagus, is looking at whether patients who take oral zinc daily for 2 weeks before a surveillance endoscopy procedure have increased zinc levels in biopsy samples of Barrett’s tissue.
Effect of oral zinc on “tight junctions” in Barrett’s tissue. Tight junctions are gasket-like seals between the cells of the digestive lining. Research at LIMR and elsewhere has shown that zinc can tighten these cell connections. One hypothesis is that by supporting the protective barrier function of tight junctions in Barrett’s tissue, zinc may help protect against development of esophageal cancer. In this study, which is related to the one above, investigators are looking at zinc’s effect on tight junctions between cells in Barrett’s tissue samples from patients being monitored for Barrett’s esophagus.
Protein patterns in precancerous tissue. This LIMR-based study, which also involves patients being monitored for Barrett’s esophagus, is looking at proteins that make up the tight junctions between cells in Barrett’s tissue. The investigators are examining biopsy samples to see whether junctional proteins in precancerous Barrett’s tissue have a consistent pattern that is recognizably different from noncancerous tissue. If so, this pattern might help identify patches of tissue with cancerous potential within the esophagus.

Celiac Disease

Effect of a new medication for treating celiac disease. Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is to adhere to a strict gluten-free diet. This treatment is successful for most people. The aim of this double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 study is to investigate the effectiveness of a new medication for treating celiac disease in patients who have been following a gluten-free diet for 1 year but are still experiencing symptoms. Lankenau Medical Center is one of more than 60 study sites across the United States and Canada participating in the study.

Colorectal Cancer

Effectiveness of a new, stool-based test for early detection of colorectal cancer. Lankenau is participating in a large study to evaluate how well a new type of test functions as a screening test for early detection of colorectal cancer in people at average risk. The study uses a single stool sample that patients collect at home and send to a lab. The study involves more than 100 sites across the United States and Canada and is expected to enroll more than 10,000 patients.
Effect of oral zinc on “tight junctions” in the lining of the colon. This LIMR-based study involves patients who take oral zinc (zinc lozenges) daily for 2 weeks before undergoing colonoscopy screening. The investigators are looking to see if zinc has an effect on the “tight junctions” between cells in the colorectal tissue samples. Research at LIMR and elsewhere has shown that zinc can tighten these gasket-like seals between cells of the digestive lining. One hypothesis is that by supporting the protective barrier function of tight junctions in the lining of the colon, zinc may help protect against colorectal cancer formation.

Hepatitis C

Ensuring optimal treatment for hepatitis C. Protease inhibitors have been used to treat HIV for a long time but have only recently been approved to treat hepatitis C. Now, most patients with hepatitis C are treated with a 3-drug combination that includes a protease inhibitor plus the standard drugs, pegylated interferon and ribavirin. When taken as directed, this therapy results in a “cure” (eradication of virus) in most people. The treatment is complex, however, and requires strict patient compliance to be effective. Lankenau is participating in a multisite study to determine the best way to ensure patient compliance with this complex treatment regime.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Patterns of gene expression in IBD. There is growing scientific evidence that microRNAs—tiny proteins that regulate gene expression—play a key role in human immune function and that altered function of microRNAs contributes to a range of immune-mediated diseases, including IBD. Previous research shows that people with different forms of IBD have different patterns of microRNA expression. In this LIMR-based study, investigators are examining blood samples from new patients with suspected IBD and healthy volunteers to determine whether microRNA patterns differ among them. Discovery of unique patterns of gene expression detectable in blood may prove useful as a basis for simple tests to differentiate between various forms of IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).