New therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is needed due to primary drug failure or loss of response to drugs for patients suffering from the disease. The recent findings from the collaborative work led by Prof. Hon Fai Chan demonstrated that bioactive glass (BG), a clinically-approved bone graft material with immunomodulatory property, holds potential to treat IBD when taken orally.

BG was encapsulated in a core-shell microsphere for targeted delivery to the gut. In vivo experiments showed that BG reduced intestinal inflammation, promoted epithelial tissue regeneration, and partially restored microbiota homeostasis. This study suggests a new therapeutic approach at low cost for IBD treatment.

The findings have been published in Advanced Science:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202207418