Crohns and the MAP Vaccine

Crohn’s Disease is a debilitating and aggressive form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease that can attack the entire digestive tract. It attacks an estimated five million people worldwide and the numbers are rising. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain, weight loss, bloody diarrhoea and chronic fatigue. Others can have ulcers in their mouths, esophagus, and stomach. 80% of patients will need surgery at some point in their lifetime. Although there is no cure for Crohn’s, there may be evidence pointing to MAP as the cause of Crohn’s Disease.

What is MAP?

MAP is a bacteria that causes a disease call Johne's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease affecting cows. It is similar to Crohn's disease in human beings. MAP is caused by Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis.  It is said that the MAP bacterium cannot be seen under the microscope in human beings which makes it very hard, if not impossible, to detect. And just because it is a disease found in cows it does not mean it causes Crohn's. 

Still, the possibility is breathtaking.  

I headed over to the MAP website found here: http://crohnsmapvaccine.com/vaccine/ where a vaccine has been developed, but has yet to be tried in humans. Crohn's Map Vaccine asks for donations to help further their cause. It is worth taking a second look.

The best way I can explain it is that in people with Crohn's disease their T-cells do not recognize MAP. Why? Because genetically, we are different. Our T-cells are blind to MAP. What the vaccine does is wake up the T-cells in people with Crohn's disease enabling them to fight the MAP bacteria.

Promising.

And very interesting.