MARCH 11, 2019

Did the Plague Increase the Incidence of Crohn’s Disease?

Would you sacrifice your intestinal health if it meant surviving a catastrophic infection?

According to a new study, that may have been an evolutionary trade-off humans made to live through past plagues. Researchers say mutations in a gene called NOD2 conferred resistance to plague-related pathogens, but at a cost. The proliferation of these genes in populations that survived plagues meant more people had mutations that are now known to increase the risk for Crohn’s disease.

Certain