Scientists have identified over 160 genetic variants that are tied to the disease, but since these variants are common in the general population and relatively stable in their prevalence, they cannot possibly explain the disease’s precipitous rise. They do, however, point to a different culprit. Most of them are involved in producing mucus, solidifying the lining of the gut, or regulating the immune system – all things that keep microbes in line. And although human genes don’t change fast enough to account for the sudden rise of IBD, microbes do.
