All were thought to play a role but virtually all of them have been dismissed as the sole mechanism, because they are not common to every case. Studies up to this point have not revealed an underlying common denominator. Most researchers have taken animals and given them something to cause stomach damage, then removed the stomach, photographed and examined it to try to assess the extent of the damage. Miller and Smith are looking for something more basic going on in the affected cells, that when disturbed, sets them up for injury. Then we can turn it around and strengthen these things, so that the ulcer doesn't occur.
Prostaglandins are fatty acids that can be found in every cell of the body.
There are about 30 kinds of prostaglandins that differ in just a few chemical bonds. Researchers found that they could prevent ulcers from occurring by giving prostaglandins before exposure to ulcer-causing agents. Miller and Smith are investigating how these prostaglandins protect the cell and how they might stabilize supportive systems within the cell called the cytoskeleton. By isolating events that destabilize the cytoskeleton, we may be able to identify the signaling mechanisms responsible for injury as well as the mechanisms by which we can prevent it. It's a big picture puzzle, and we are now getting some of the pieces to fit.