英国科学家找到了炎症性肠病（ IBD） 的一个主要病因。科学家们在我们的  DNA  中发现了一个薄弱点， 95% 的患者的  DNA  中都存这个弱点。

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. One part of the immune system, called macrophages, is highly implicated. 

克罗恩病和溃疡性结肠炎是最常见的炎症性肠病。人体免疫系统中巨噬细胞与病因密切相关。

The researchers at the Francis Crick Institute discovered the macrophages master regulator of inflammation is a section of DNA that controls the whole suite of inflammatory chemicals that the cells release, and some people are born with a version that makes their body respond excessively.

弗朗西斯·克里克研究所的研究人员发现，巨噬细胞作为炎症的主调节器，也是一段脱氧核糖核酸（DNA），该段 DNA 控制着细胞释放的一整套炎症化学物质，而有些人天生就有一种不同的 DNA “版本”，会让身体反应过度。

The researchers use this knowledge to test drugs that are already approved for other conditions. These could calm inflammation in samples of bowel tissue from IBD patients.

研究人员利用这些知识来测试已获批用于治疗其它疾病的药物。这些药物应该可以缓解在炎症性肠病患者肠道组织样本中已发现的炎症。

词汇表

ulcerative colitis 溃疡性结肠炎
inflammatory bowel disease 炎症性肠病
immune system 免疫系统
macrophages 巨噬细胞
implicated 密切相关的，有关联的
regulator 调节器，管理者
DNA 脱氧核糖核酸
suite 一套、一整套
inflammatory 引起炎症的，发炎的
excessively 过度的
tissue （细胞）组织
IBD 炎症性肠病

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. What part of the body is responsible for inflammatory bowel disease?

2. What part of the body controls the inflammatory chemicals released by cells?

3. True or False? Some people are born with a section of DNA that makes their bodies produce more inflammatory chemicals than they need.

4. True or False? Doctors are treating IBD with drugs made for other illnesses. 

答案

1. What part of the body is responsible for inflammatory bowel disease?

One part of the immune system, called macrophages, is highly implicated.

2. What part of the body controls the inflammatory chemicals released by cells?

The macrophages master regulator of information is a section of DNA that controls the whole suite of inflammatory chemicals.

3. True or False? Some people are born with a section of DNA that makes their bodies produce more inflammatory chemicals than they need.

True. Some people are born with a version that makes their bodies respond excessively.

4. True or False? Doctors are treating IBD with drugs made for other illnesses. 

False. Researchers are testing drugs that are already approved for other conditions.