Grant: Operating Grant

Most of the drugs most commonly taken for pain and inflammation, including for arthritis, frequently cause significant damage and bleeding in the intestine. This is a very serious effect of these drugs, that often goes undetected, and for which there are no effective treatments. Drugs taken to protect the stomach from these drugs actually worsen the damage and bleeding caused in the intestine. Our research project will identify the main mechanisms through which this damage and bleeding is produced, and we will develop a method for preventing this life-threatening side effect of very commonly used medications.