Objective
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis. The prevalence of IBD has been increasing globally and almost doubled from 3.7 million in 1990 to 6.8 million in 2017, with the highest prevalence rates observed in Europe and North America (422 cases per 100,000 population).
Patients with IBD suffer from chronic relapsing abdominal pain, urgency and incontinence, and depending on the severity of their presentation, are at risk of developing acute life-threatening complications (e.g. severe bleeding, fulminant colitis, perforation). Although these conditions primarily affect the GI tract, other organ systems, such as the eyes, skin, musculoskeletal system, and lungs, hepatobiliary and hematologic function might be affected as well. As of today, the etiology of the disease is largely unknown, and the current available treatments are limited in their efficiency and accompanied by significant side effects. These treatments largely target inflammatory mediators to suppress excess inflammation. These can include general immunosuppression such as high-dose corticosteroids, or more specific biological agents (e.g. anti-TNF). Patients with IBD are dependent on the lifelong administration of immunosuppressive drugs, exposing them to multiple adverse effects ranging from systemic infections to metabolic dysregulation and even cancer. Taken together, this is a systemic disease that affects many physiological systems and has a strong emotional component (). Yet, treatment with immune suppressive drugs can only alleviate some symptoms and cannot treat the source of the disease nor its broad systemic manifestations.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
32000 Haifa
Israel