Volume 4 • Issue 2 • 1000128 J Nanomedine Biotherapeutic Discov ISSN: 2155-983X JNBD an open access journal Research Article Open Access Zarogoulidis et al., J Nanomedine Biotherapeutic Discov 2014, 4:2 DOI: 10.4172/2155-983X.1000128 Keywords: Cystic Fibrosis; Crohn`s Disease; Ulcerative Colitis; Nutrition model; Bioengineering; Biotechnology Introduction Cystic Fibrosis, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn’sDisease originate with mutations of the genes and manifest with the symptoms within the gastrointestinal track. Specifcally, Cystic Fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a mutation in the gene on chromosome 7, which is coding for the protein cystic fbrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Te CFTR is responsible for the transport of chloride and sodium ions across epithelial membranes, therefore a defective protein lead to thick and viscous secretions. Mutations at several diferent locations in the gene can all lead to Cystic Fibrosis manifesting with difering symptoms and with varying prognoses of the disease. Some mutations lead to production of a less functional protein, while others lead to no production at all. While the most common mutation is delta F508, over 1500 diferent mutations have been reported. Te disease primarily afects the lungs, liver and pancreas. Increased PCO2 and respiratory acidosis is observed in advanced disease. Cystic fbrosis can be diagnosed before birth. Treatment of cystic fbrosis consists of bronchodilators, corticosteroids, antibiotics, enzyme replacement, insulin, bisphosphonates and vaccination during infuenza exacerbation, and physiotherapy. Lung transplantation is eligible for fnal stage disease [1-6]. Te vigorous work on gene therapy is rapidly progressing. Novel Approach for Designing Supportive Care in Genetic Disorders of Gastrointestinal Tract: Three-Dimensional Polymer Model of Nutritional Therapies in Cystic Fibrosis, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn`s Disease Paul Zarogoulidis 1,2 , Ioannis Kioumis 1 , Theodora Tsiouda 4 , Nikolaos Pezirkianidis 1,7 , Christos Ritzoulis 5 , Haidong Huang 6 , Wolfgang Hohenforst-Schmidt 7 , Dionysios Spyratos 1 , Konstantinos Porpodis 1 , Georgia Pitsiou 1 , Sofa Lampaki 1 , John Organtzis 1 , Bianca Kathryn Malecki 1,8,9 , Sindre Ervik Saetre 1,8,9 , Konstantinos Zarogoulidis 1 , and Marek Malecki 9,10* 1 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU 2 University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany, EU 3 Theagenio Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU 4 Alexander Technological Educational Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU 5 II Military University Hospital, Shanghai, China 6 Coburg Regional Hospital, Germany, EU 7 Private Practice, Serres, Greece, EU 8 Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland, EU 9 Phoenix Biomolecular Engineering Foundation, San Francisco, CA, USA 10 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA Abstract Introduction: Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and Crohn’sDisease (LCD) manifest as various, multiple symptoms from malfunctioning and/or damaged gastrointestinal tract, which plague the patients. These symptoms result from the dysfunctional expression products of the specifc mutations of the genes, which either manifest upon birth (CF) or later in life in immuno-genetically susceptible individuals as diseases of gastrointestinal tract (LCD). They all may potentially lead to malnutrition of the patients. Since only correcting the mutated genes, may cure these diseases permanently, the works on the future safe gene therapies continue vigorously. However, provision of the necessary nutrients to the suffering patients is requirement of the effective, supportive care at presence. In this realm, we have developed a model of the diseased gastrointestinal tract aimed to guide designing and testing various nutritional therapies. Materials and Methods: It is well known that infammatory bowel diseases induce crypts within the patients’ gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, we have bioengineered, a novel, three-dimensional model of the gastrointestinal tract to evaluate the rheology of different types of nutrients. The model was assembled out of the biocompatible, non-toxic polymer with openings leading to vials of different shapes and sizes. Results and Conclusion: The newly developed three-dimensional model simulates effectively the structure and functions of the gastrointestinal tract of the patients with mild and severe Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’sDisease, and Cystic Fibrosis. Modifcations of the different nutrients, with properties complementing the changed by diseases functionalities of the patients’ gastrointestinal tracts, will help to design the proper supportive therapies; thus to prevent the patients’ malnutrition. *Corresponding author: Marek Malecki, M.D., Ph.D., Phoenix Biomolecular Engineering Foundation, San Francisco, CA 91105, USA; telephone: 4157134370; fax: 4157134371; Email: mm-pbmef; mm@pbmef.org Received July 04, 2014; Accepted July 23, 2014; Published July 25, 2014 Citation: Zarogoulidis P, Kioumis I, Tsiouda T, Pezirkianidis N, Ritzoulis C (2014) Novel Approach for Designing Supportive Care in Genetic Disorders of Gastrointestinal Tract: Three-Dimensional Polymer Model of Nutritional Therapies in Cystic Fibrosis, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn`s Disease. J Nanomedine Biotherapeutic Discov 4: 128. doi:10.4172/2155-983X.1000128 Copyright: © 2014 Zarogoulidis P, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Journal of Nanomedicine & Biotherapeutic Discovery J o u r n a l o f N a n o m e d i c i n e & B i o t h e r a p e u t i c D i s c o v e r y ISSN: 2155-983X