Investing in Research Initiatives
Our research initiatives are focused on critical gaps in scientific knowledge that need to be answered in order to improve patient quality of life and move us closer to cures.
Currently, we are driving initiatives that will help to prevent and treat common IBD complications, including chronic abdominal pain and fibrosis. We’re also investigating genetic and environmental disease triggers and finding new, high-tech ways to make patient lives better.
Chronic Abdominal Pain
Our newest research initiative, focused on chronic abdominal pain, is currently providing funding for three studies that are aiming to understand why patients may still feel abdominal pain even after their gastrointestinal inflammation quiets down. One project is looking into whether an enzyme or a fat-producing bacteria in the body might be driving some types of chronic pain in IBD patients.
Fibrosis Initiative
Fibrosis, or a buildup of scar tissue in the gut, is a common complication among patients with Crohn’s disease. In some cases, fibrosis leads to strictures—narrowing of the intestines—which often requires surgery. Our Fibrosis Initiative is using cutting-edge approaches, including “mini-guts” that are grown in a lab, to learn more about why fibrosis happens as well as test the response to different drug treatments.
Genetics Initiative
Our Genetics Initiative aims to uncover and understand the genes and gene-controlled pathways that make certain people more likely to develop IBD or to have frequent flares and more severe disease complications. Hundreds of relevant genes have been identified so far. Recently, this initiative has led to the discovery of a genetic variant that makes some IBD patients overproduce a protein called PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1) that interferes with the healing of gut ulcers.
Environmental Triggers
Experts currently believe that IBD is triggered by a combination of genetics, their microbiome, and exposure to environmental factors, including stress and diet. Such environmental factors may also have the potential to increase or decrease disease activity. We need to understand how these triggers work, so that patients might be able to use the right dietary changes and/or stress-relief techniques as part of their IBD management plan.
