Over 1 million Americans are beset with irritable bowel disease (IBD), an umbrella term for various chronic, debilitating inflammatory intestinal conditions, including Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis. Symptoms of IBD include severe diarrhea, pain, fatigue, and weight loss. Currently, treatment options are limited, with many depending on daily enemas to find a measure of relief. Daily enemas, as one could imagine, are uncomfortable and impractical. In addition, the drugs utilized in enemas are also absorbed by healthy tissues that don't need them, sometimes resulting in further complications. However, a research team from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, in coordination with other research centers, offers hope of a better way for IBD sufferers: hydrogel. The hydrogel is composed of ascorbyl palmitate (AP), which is already an FDA-approved material, and is an excellent carrier of medication. Inflamed tissue is positively charged, while AP is negatively ch...