ECCO News

ECCO News keeps ECCO Members up-to-date on what is going on within the organisation and reports on IBD activities taking place within Europe. Since Spring 2006, ECCO News has maintained the flow of information between Members of the organisation. 

ECCO News is an important part of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation’s ambition to create a European standard of IBD care and to promote knowledge and research in the field of IBD. 

Editor & Associate Editors

Edouard Louis
© ECCO

Nuha Yassin
© ECCO

Ignacio Catalán-Serra
© ECCO

Brigida Barberio
© ECCO

Spyros Siakavellas
© ECCO

Latest ECCO News Content


26October2023

Report on the update of the ECCO Guidelines on Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Malignancies

Hannah Gordon, GuiCom Member

Hannah Gordon
© ECCO

The second ECCO Guideline on Malignancy in IBD was published in JCC late last year, supported by working group leads Livia Biancone, Gionata Fiorino, Kostas Katsanos and Uri Kopylov. The ethos of this guideline was to couple evidence-based medicine with provision of practical advice, with a view to enhancing patient care worldwide. We worked alongside the ECCO Guidelines Team to undertake systematic reviews for each statement, selecting topics that are frequently relevant to patients with IBD as well as those which generate debate in the MDT.

Posted in ECCO News, Committee News, GuiCom, Volume 18, Issue 3

26October2023

Report on the update of the ECCO Guidelines on Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Malignancies (Copy)

Hannah Gordon, GuiCom Member

Hannah Gordon
© ECCO

The second ECCO Guideline on Malignancy in IBD was published in JCC late last year, supported by working group leads Livia Biancone, Gionata Fiorino, Kostas Katsanos and Uri Kopylov. The ethos of this guideline was to couple evidence-based medicine with provision of practical advice, with a view to enhancing patient care worldwide. We worked alongside the ECCO Guidelines Team to undertake systematic reviews for each statement, selecting topics that are frequently relevant to patients with IBD as well as those which generate debate in the MDT.

Posted in ECCO News, Committee News, GuiCom, Volume 18, Issue 3

26October2023

Report on the 71st ECCO Educational Workshop, Zagreb, Croatia

Firas Rinawi, P-ECCO Member


Firas Rinawi
© Firas Rinawi

The 71st ECCO Educational Workshop took place at The Westin Zagreb, Croatia, on June 16, 2023. This event brought together participants from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Italy. The workshop focused on the field of paediatric IBD and featured interactive discussions on various clinical scenarios and hot topics in paediatric IBD.

Posted in ECCO News, Committee News, EduCom, Volume 18, Issue 3

26October2023

Introduction to ECCO’24 Imaging Workshops

Mariangela Allocca, EduCom Member and Uri Kopylov, EduCom Member


Mariangela Allocca
© ECCO

Uri Kopylov
© ECCO

The Educational Programme at the ECCO Congress in 2024 will once again feature two workshops focused on imaging Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). These workshops, held in collaboration with the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) and the International Bowel Ultrasound (IBUS) group, aim to educate medical professionals about the latest imaging technologies and their application in precise diagnosis and therapeutic management of IBD patients.

The first workshop will cover basic endoscopy, ultrasound and MRI, while the second will delve into advancements in intestinal ultrasound. These workshops are made possible through extensive cooperation between ECCO and experienced gastroenterologists and radiologists in intestinal imaging.

Posted in ECCO News, Committee News, EduCom, Congress News, Volume 18, Issue 3

26October2023

Introduction to the 22nd IBD Intensive Course for Trainees

Natalia Queiroz, EduCom Member



Natalia Queiroz
© ECCO

The 22nd ECCO IBD Intensive Course for Trainees, Stockholm 2024

The IBD Intensive Course for Trainees will take place over one day on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, prior to the official start of the ECCO Congress. This ECCO Educational Initiative has a rich history, dating back to its conception in 2003, even before the launch of the ECCO Congress.

The fundamentals of IBD education begin during gastroenterology fellowship training. However, IBD medical education is often fragmented. The IBD Intensive Course for Trainees aims to provide advanced fellows in gastroenterology with a comprehensive understanding of IBD from a multidisciplinary perspective. In addition, the course presents a valuable opportunity for young clinicians to connect with colleagues from various countries around the globe, allowing them to explore different medical standards and establish a network for potential future collaborations. Participation in the programme is by invitation, with students nominated by ECCO National Representatives.

Posted in ECCO News, Committee News, EduCom, Congress News, Volume 18, Issue 3

26October2023

Preclinical IBD: the key to the future is (probably) behind us

Iago Rodríguez-Lago, EpiCom Member

Iago Rodríguez-Lago
© ECCO

Introduction

The incidence and prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are progressively increasing worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Despite increasing awareness of IBD and improvements in biomarkers and diagnostic techniques, a significant diagnostic delay is still frequently observed. This is highly relevant as diagnostic delay prevents application of medical treatment during very early disease stages and the implementation of certain disease intervention strategies. Diagnostic delay is consequently still limiting our potential to alter the natural history of the disease, as has recently been shown by UK colleagues. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, it was demonstrated that individuals with Crohn’s Disease (CD) in the higher quartiles of diagnostic delay (median 24 months) were more likely to have stricturing or penetrating disease and were also more likely to undergo intestinal surgery, while in patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) such a delay was associated with increased probability of colectomy [1]. Hence, reducing diagnostic delay should be a priority if we are aiming to apply effective disease intervention strategies.

Posted in ECCO News, Committee News, EpiCom, Volume 18, Issue 3

26October2023

The new EMA Clinical Trial Information System (CTIS)

Tanja Doris Ute Kuehbacher, ClinCom Member


Tanja Kuehbacher
© ECCO

In the fast-paced world of medical research and drug development, efficient data management and transparent communication are critical factors for success. To address these challenges, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a new Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) that went live on January 31, 2022 [1, 2]. The CTIS is the backbone of the Clinical Trials Regulation, which will harmonise the assessment and supervision of clinical trials in the European Union. There is a transition period until January 31, 2025. Any ongoing trial that has been approved under the Clinical Trial Directive will then fall under the Clinical Trials Regulation [1–3].

Posted in ECCO News, Committee News, ECCO'23, ClinCom, Volume 18, Issue 3

26October2023

ECCO-AOCC Visiting Travel Grant Report: Gabriele Dragoni

Gabriele Dragoni, ECCO-AOCC Visiting Grant Awardee, Y-ECCO Member


Gabriele Dragoni
© ECCO

After repeated postponements due to travel restrictions to Japan, I was able to carry out enteroscopy training at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) Hospital between September and October 2022.

Posted in ECCO News, SciCom, Committee News, Volume 18, Issue 3, Fellowships & Grants Synopsis Reports

26October2023

Final Report, ECCO Grant for Silke Kiessling

Silke Kiessling, ECCO Grant Awardee

Induction of circadian microbial function in chronic intestinal inflammation


Silke Kiessling
© Silke Kiessling

Background & aim of research

Impaired clock gene expression has been observed in biopsies from patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Disruption of circadian rhythms, which occurs in shift workers, has been linked to an increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases, including IBD. The intestinal clock balances gastrointestinal homeostasis by regulating the microbiome. We aimed to characterise intestinal immune functions in mice lacking the intestinal clock and in IBD-relevant mouse models under different feeding conditions in order to assess the functional impact of the intestinal clock in the development of gastrointestinal inflammation.

Posted in ECCO News, SciCom, Committee News, Volume 18, Issue 3, Fellowships & Grants Synopsis Reports

26October2023

Final Report, ECCO Grant for Ho-Su Lee

Ho-Su Lee, ECCO Grant Awardee

Investigating the genetics of IBD multiplex families


Ho-Su Lee
© Ho-Su Lee

Background & aim of research

This research aimed to investigate the genetic architecture of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) multiplex families (including at least three affected first-degree relatives), and to identify the underlying genetic factors that contribute to the familial aggregation of IBD.

Posted in ECCO News, SciCom, Committee News, Volume 18, Issue 3, Fellowships & Grants Synopsis Reports