In a previous post, we talked about the incredible team that takes care of patients like Sébastien who have short bowel syndrome. Today we’ll take a look at one new treatment that the GIFT team is using in Toronto Sick Kids… it’s called Omegaven.
But first, a briefing… As Sébastien was born with gastroschisis and endured an operation to remove all but 20 cm of his bowel after birth, he became dependant on TPN for nourishment. TPN is composed of two solutions: one consisting of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, the second consisting of plant-derived fat (lipid) – mostly made of soybean oil. With time, however, the TPN takes a toll on the liver, to such an extent that patients like Sébastien, who are over a year on the TPN, end up needing not only a bowel transplant, but a liver as well. As an article of Dream Online from the Children’s Hospital in Boston explains, the reason TPN causes liver damage has eluded the medicine for years.
In 2001, Jenna Garza, MD, was interested in researching the reason for liver damage from TPN and began experimenting with mice under Dr Mark Puder’s supervision. Kathleen Gura also participated in the research. Many experiments later, the team discovered the dramatic difference of results when using Omega-3 (Omegaven) instead of the usual soybean oil, as a fatty acid supplement. There was no liver damage in any of the mice being fed Omegaven. As Dr. Puder explains in the same article, with regular Intralipid: “That fat becomes more or less a fuel that burns the liver, causing it to become inflamed. But the Omegaven is an anti-inflammatory lipid that prevents fat build-up in the liver. So if there’s no fuel—fat—there’s no fire—injury.”
In September of 2004, a young baby named Charles was the first to ever receive Omegaven. It came as a saving grace for the tiny boy, who after a few weeks showed improvement and now no longer needs a liver transplant. As of January of this year, 30 patients at the Children’s Hospital in Boston have been receiving Omegaven acording to an article in Newsday. In Toronto at Sick Kids, 11 babies are being fed Omegaven. This new method of feeding could affect over 30 000 patients in the U.S. alone according to the Boston Globe, however there is a problem. Omegaven is not yet approved by the FDA or by Health Canada and it may take months or years for it to be approved. Why?
To avoid too long a post, check back here for the second part next week.
0 Responses to “What is Omegaven?”