A new study shows a direct effect of cigarette smoke on intestinal inflammation for the first time. Researchers in South Korea report that exposing mice to cigarette smoke results in colitis, an inflammation of the colon resembling Crohn's disease, and identify a specific white blood cell and inflammatory protein responsible for this effect. The study, published today in open-access journal Frontiers in Immunology, could help scientists to develop new treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease, and increase awareness among smokers of their risk for colitis.
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