The incidence of Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, the best-known inflammatory bowel diseases, has increased tenfold in Spain in the last 25 years. Currently, about 2,000 new cases are detected each year. Studies point to succinate, a metabolite that is found naturally in all cells, both human and bacterial, and that has essential functions for their correct functioning, as a promoter of inflammation and fibrosis of intestinal cells. Studies show that, in certain chronic diseases, there is an increase in succinate production that causes its levels to be higher than normal.
The Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (DIAMET) research group of the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) has generated solid evidence that the reduction of succinate in the intestine leads to a clear improvement in the inflammatory disease. The team, led by Isabel Huber, obtained these data with bacteria capable of consuming succinate. Using this knowledge, she generated possible drugs capable of doing the same as bacteria, that is, degrading this metabolite. “We have been able to identify some possible drugs that we now need to improve and continue developing, to obtain more evidence of their effectiveness,” explains Huber.
Although the team has designed several molecules capable of consuming succinate, they are working on the most promising. “We are in the initial phases, optimizing and improving our most promising candidate and doing laboratory-level studies. If everything went well, in three years we could begin the first studies in humans,” adds the researcher.
The goal is to end up developing an oral treatment that returns succinate to healthy levels.
Transparency statement: This research is funded by the “la Caixa” Foundation, an entity that supports the Big Vang scientific information channel.
