Treatment of the chronic inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis often produces unsatisfactory results. Researchers at the University of Bern have now developed a lipid gel that is administered directly to the inflamed part of the intestine, where it remains and releases its active substance evenly. This could result in a new, targeted therapy approach with fewer side effects.

Sometimes doctors discover a rare tumour when they examine the excised tissue after an appendectomy. If the tumour has already reached a diameter of almost two centimetres, it was previously recommended to remove the adjacent part of the colon. But this should be avoided, as researchers in Bern have shown with a careful evaluation of tissue samples and clinical data from all over Europe.