Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are twice as common as Type 1 Diabetes and on the rise globally. Immune-mediated diseases will soon be the  leading cause for cardiometabolic diseases worldwide.

Once clinical symptoms of IBD have occurred, cure is not an option. Hence, there is an urgent need for research into the factors driving the development of IBD and to work towards prediction and prevention.

There is now strong evidence that the clinical onset of IBD is preceded by a preclinical phase, as observed for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

By leveraging samples from unique “pre-disease” cohorts, researchers have identified biomarkers that can precede by up to 10 years the diagnosis of IBD.

Integrated data analysis of these markers is in progress to understand
the pathways that drive IBD development.

The goal being to develop risk prediction models and to identify novel therapeutic targets for prevention trials.