Grant: Project Grant

The irritable bowel syndrome is a the most common intestinal disorder that imposes a huge socio-economic burden on Canadians. It's cause is unknown but current investigation proposes that it arises from alterations in the trillions of bacteria that reside in our intestines. Studies have been limited to bacteria in the large bowel. However, since this condition is largely influenced by our diet, we propose that bacteria relevant to this condition actually live in the upper part of the intestines where they interact with our diet to produce changes in how the bowel works and hence the symptoms of this common condition. Our study challenges current thinking by focusing on the bacterial composition in the small intestine of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and determines whether these bacteria, rather than those found in the lower bowel, produce alterations in gut function. If correct, our findings would focus on therapies, including dietary change, that would influence bacteria in the upper intestine. Current therapies directed at bacteria in the lower intestines have not been effective.