Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis
Article Summary
- Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the large intestine.
- The Miller School of Medicine is one of 15 sites conducting clinical trials on the impact of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on ulcerative colitis.
- Principal investigator Dr. Oriana Damas says therapies for ulcerative colitis exist, but it’s difficult to predict their effectiveness.
A new clinical trial at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and 14 other sites, is testing whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can effectively treat ulcerative colitis.
The study, which has patients breathe 100% oxygen under increased pressure to boost tissue oxygenation, is currently enrolling patients.
“There have been two small clinical trials that have shown that hyperbaric oxygen treatment can help hospitalized ulcerative colitis patients into remission,” said Oriana Damas, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of translational studies for the Crohn’s and Colitis Center at the Miller School and principal investigator for the Miami wing of the study. “It’s also been shown to help patients with Crohn’s disease. We’re hoping this therapy can help us better manage ulcerative colitis patients and possibly help to lessen the need for surgery in patients admitted for flares.”
Increasing Oxygen in the Colon
Ulcerative colitis is a debilitating inflammatory disease that affects the large intestine. HBOT may offer benefits for ulcerative colitis by increasing oxygen delivery to inflamed areas of the colon, which typically have lower oxygen levels.
HBOT is already used for diabetic ulcers and post-surgical wounds that heal poorly. By enhancing oxygen delivery to tissues, HBOT can reduce the number of inflammatory proteins in the area, boost cell growth and increase the migration of stem cells, all of which contribute to improved tissue healing.
The study will investigate how HBOT reduces inflammation as well as examine whether it improves care and clinical outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis.
“There’s a therapeutic ceiling for ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel diseases in general,” said Dr. Damas. “We have many new drug therapies but we don’t have a great way to predict which patients will respond to them. Also, some patients don’t respond to any therapy and some only respond for a little while.”
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as Adjunctive Treatment
While HBOT will not replace drug treatments, the researchers believe that, like an anti-inflammatory diet, it may improve clinical results when used as adjunctive treatment to medications. The ultimate hope is that this therapy will reduce the need for surgery and improve inflammation in patients admitted for ulcerative colitis flare-ups.
This study is recruiting patients who have been admitted to the hospital for ulcerative colitis and are receiving intravenous steroids. These patients will be randomized into two groups. One will receive hyperbaric oxygen. The other will be placed in the chamber but receive no actual treatment.
The research team will check endoscopy results and other measures, before and after the treatment, to determine if patients have improved.
“We’re quite excited about this project because it’s a novel study and also because it’s interdisciplinary,” said Dr. Damas, “The GI and hyperbaric teams are working closely together to move science forward. It highlights how translational research and clinical care can really improve when we work together across disciplines.”
Tags: Crohn's and Colitis Center, Crohn's disease, Division of Digestive Health and Liver Diseases, Dr. Oriana Damas, hyperbaric medicine, ulcerative colitis, USNWR Gastro