OUTLOOK

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

19 May 2016 / Vol 533 / Issue No 7603

N
OUTLOOK
obody likes to talk about their bowel movements.
CONTENTS
19 May 2016

This squeamishness means that irritable bowel

Supplement to Nature
Publishing Group journals

syndrome (IBS), which entails a change in stool form

and frequency, is widely under-reported. The condition is S102 HISTORY
comprised of several symptoms, such as diarrhoea or bloating, Transit time
that are also present in other diseases, complicating efforts to Physicians have been treating gut
problems for centuries
IRRITABLE
BOWEL
SYNDROME
study and treat it. IBS can also be associated with mental-health
Produced with support from:
Untangling a
complex condition conditions such as anxiety or depression. In the past, this led S104 MICROBIOME
some clinicians to categorize it as mainly a psychiatric concern, Bacterial broadband
Cover art: Sarah J. Coleman Microbes’ influence on the brain
which for many years also attracted unwarranted stigma. This
Editorial Outlook describes these difficult issues, the progress made and S107 PERSPECTIVE
Herb Brody An easier diagnosis
the challenges that remain (see page S118).
Michelle Grayson Brian E. Lacy discusses the Rome criteria
Richard Hodson IBS as we now know it has a short history, but it is heavily
Jenny Rooke influenced by work that goes back centuries (S102). Diagnostic S108 DIET
Food for thought
Art & Design capability took a leap forward in the 1980s with the Rome The rise in popularity of the
Wesley Fernandes criteria — the fourth iteration is published this month
Mohamed Ashour low-FODMAP diet
(S107). But what many people want is a reliable diagnostic
Annthea Lewis S110 DIAGNOSTICS
Production test (S110), which would also lead to better, more targeted Filling in the missing pieces
Karl Smart drugs (S116). One subtype of IBS caused by gastroenteritis Scientists search for IBS biomarkers
Ian Pope might already be treatable — or even preventable (S114).
Matthew Carey S112 Q&A
Food can trigger symptoms, and a diet low in FODMAPs A listening ear
Sponsorship
David Bagshaw — undigestible carbohydrates — has gained many supporters. Peter Whorwell explains his approach
Yvette Smith But not all researchers are convinced of its effectiveness to IBS treatment
Marketing (S108). Something does happen in the large intestine, however, S114 INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Nicole Jackson and researchers are trying to decipher the influence of the Something in the water
Project Manager microbiome on the gut–brain axis (S104). Whatever the cause, Pathogens could alter the microbiota
Anastasia Panoutsou
one thing is clear — although IBS is mild for many people, S116 DRUG DEVELOPMENT
Art Director
Kelly Buckheit Krause for 1 in 20 patients it is a severe and even life-threatening A healthy pipeline
condition. But help is available, and one clinician says that the The IBS drugs on their way to the clinic
Publisher
Richard Hughes first step is simply to listen to patients (S112). S118 RESEARCH
Editorial director, We are pleased to acknowledge the support of Allergan plc 4 big questions
partnerships media in producing this Outlook. As always, Nature retains sole The challenges still facing scientists
Stephen Pincock
responsibility for all editorial content.
Chief Magazine Editor COLLECTION
Rosie Mestel S120 ‘Functional’ gastrointestinal
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Grayson disorders—a paradigm shift
Philip Campbell Senior supplements editor Nicholas J. Talley
S122 Primeview: Irritable bowel syndrome
Nature Outlooks are sponsored supplements that aim to stimulate All featured articles will be freely available for 6 months. S124 Intestinal microbiota and diet in
interest and debate around a subject of interest to the sponsor, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICES IBS: causes, consequences, or
while satisfying the editorial values of Nature and our readers’ Site licences (www.nature.com/libraries/site_licences): Americas, epiphenomena?
expectations. The boundaries of sponsor involvement are clearly institutions@natureny.com; Asia-Pacific, http://nature.asia/
delineated in the Nature Outlook Editorial guidelines available at Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović et al.
jp-contact; Australia/New Zealand, nature@macmillan.com.au;
go.nature.com/e4dwzw
CITING THE OUTLOOK
Europe/ROW, institutions@nature.com; India, npgindia@nature.
com. Personal subscriptions: UK/Europe/ROW, subscriptions@
S134 Altered colonic bacterial fermentation
Cite as a supplement to Nature, for example, Nature Vol. XXX, nature.com; USA/Canada/Latin America, subscriptions@ as a potential pathophysiological
No. XXXX Suppl., Sxx–Sxx (2016). us.nature.com; Japan, http://nature.asia/jp-contact; China, http:// factor in irritable bowel syndrome
nature.asia/china-subscribe; Korea, www.natureasia.com/ko-kr/
VISIT THE OUTLOOK ONLINE
subscribe.
Tamar Ringel-Kulka et al.
The Nature Outlook Irritable Bowel Syndrome supplement can be
found at http://www.nature.com/nature/outlook/ibs CUSTOMER SERVICES S142 Neuronal correlates of placebo in
It features all newly commissioned content as well as a selection of Feedback@nature.com
relevant previously published material. Copyright © 2016 Nature Publishing Group
chronic FGIDs
QiQi Zhou & G. Nicholas Verne

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