Eric Prado was a college freshman when he developed what he thought was a stomach bug.
"It feels like stabbing pain all around," Prado said.
Doctors diagnosed Prado with Crohn's disease, a serious inflammation of the small bowel and colon.
Saleh Naser is a microbiologist who specializes in Crohn's research. He said patients with severe cases can be virtually housebound.
"They have a chair by the bathroom door where they have to go to the bathroom 20-30 times a day," Naser said
Naser, a professor at the University of Central Florida, has identified bacteria, called MAP for short, that could hold the key.
"This bacteria is known for a long time to be responsible for the same symptoms we see in Crohn's disease, but in cows," explained Naser.
As part of a clinical trial, Naser's lab is testing blood and tissue samples from Crohn's patients for the presence of MAP.
Patients are being given what Naser calls anti-MAP therapy. For one year, they take three antibiotics known to kill the MAP bacteria in the lab.
"If the bacteria is gone," said Naser, "then the symptoms should be gone."
Prado is thankful his symptoms are mild and mostly controlled with medication.
"Sometimes, you don’t know the future," said Prado. "Be positive and keep doing what you do."
Sixty-five clinical sites in three countries are participating in the "MAP" trial of the antibiotic therapy. Naser said it's his goal to learn more about the bacteria and why some people are more at risk for Crohn's than others.
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