Heartburn and ulcers beware.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have discovered a gene that curbs the production of stomach acid, the culprit of conditions like acid reflux and peptic ulcers.
This research has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
UC researchers discovered that after eliminating the chloride producing gene from the stomach of a mouse model, stomach acid secretion stopped.
Stomach acid, which is necessary for digestion, largely consists of hydrochloric acid. Scientists already knew which gene causes hydrogen secretion, but were unaware of its chloride inducing counterpart, until the recent discovery by UC researchers, lead by professor Manoocher Soleimani, MD, director of UC’s nephrology division.
This recent finding offers hope for the creation of improved treatments for conditions caused by overproduction of stomach acid, beyond the traditional drugs that can lead to negative side effects.
This study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and a Merit Review grant from the US Department of Veteran Affairs.
UC researchers collaborated on this study with the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the University of Hannover, Germany; the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Universite de Nice Sophia Antipolis, France; Harvard University Medical School; and the University of California, Berkeley.
Writer: Jonathan DeHart
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