Suzanne van Zundert © Suzanne van Zundert

When mild to moderate Crohn’s Disease is diagnosed, various dietary approaches are used as a first-line medical treatment with a view to reducing inflammatory symptoms and achieving remission. It is important that this treatment is properly guided by a (paediatric) gastroenterologist and specialised nutritionist.

Jun Miyoshi  © Jun Miyoshi

Although I had to postpone my visit to Städtisches Klinikum Lüneburg due to the global COVID-19 outbreak, I was finally able to participate in intestinal ultrasound (IUS) training there in August to September 2022. I thank everyone involved in providing me with this great opportunity.

CCR6 blockade as novel therapeutic strategy against inflammatory bowel disease

Aim of the research

The CCL20/CCR6 axis is recognized as critical in IBD pathogenesis. However, CCR6 blockage has never been tested as therapeutic approach and no small-molecules CCR6 antagonists have been investigated as a potential anti-IBD drug candidates. Starting from our novel CCR6 antagonist (MR120), we aimed at: -designing and synthesizing more potent CCR6 antagonists; -identifying the most efficacious and tolerable anti-chemotactic CCR6 antagonist; -assessing the efficacy of MR120 and of the most promising novel derivative in adoptive transfer colitis (AT).

Fine determination of gut tissue layers' inflammation exploring immune-microbiota signatures: new biomarkers of recurrence in surgical patients with Crohn's disease?

Francesco Giudici © Francesco Giudici

Edda Russo © Edda Russo

Amedeo Amedei © Amedeo Amadei

Aim of the research

Up to 65% of patients with Crohn’s Disease (CD) show disease recurrence after ileocolic resection (ICR). The reasons for this high recurrence rate are still unclear, but the abnormal CD inflammatory process, supported by microbiota dysbiosis, affects all the intestinal wall layers. We explored the mutual interplay of inflammatory and microbial factors involved in CD through a systems-level study (tissue and systemic level), at the time of ICR, evaluating whether these specific factors are associated with CD recurrence.

The Educational Programme of the 18^th Congress of ECCO starts prior to the official start of the ECCO Congress and courses take place from March 1-4, 2023. These activities target ECCO’s different interest groups including young gastroenterologists, surgeons, paediatricians, pathologists, IBD Nurses, dietitians, allied health professionals and scientists.

An overview of these activities can be found below. Please note that courses/workshops may run concurrently. As these educational activities have a limited capacity, we encourage you to register at your earliest convenience. Please note the all educational activities can only be attended onsite in Copenhagen.

The Scientific Programme of the 18^th Congress of ECCO provides attendees the unique opportunity to learn from the world’s leading specialists in the field of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Held from Thursday to Saturday, March 1-4, 2023, the Scientific Programme is structured around basic science, translational medicine and clinical sessions. Additionally, it includes oral presentations of the 40 best abstracts of the Congress. The focus of all sessions is clinical practice founded on science with practical take home messages and, as every year, the congress registration fee includes access to all scientific sessions.

The Scientific Programme will be live transmitted at the time mentioned in the programme (CET). On-demand videos will be available to registered delegates until June 4, 2023.

ECCO’23 Theme: Sequencing in IBD

We look forward to welcoming you at the 18^th Congress of ECCO in Copenhagen!

Alessandro Armuzzi © Alessandro Armuzzi

Dear colleagues and friends of the IBD Community,

Warm greetings from the ECCO News Team as we start a new year full of hopes and dreams.

Although the pandemic and the measures to combat it have profoundly affected and are still shaping all our lives in a variety of ways, we at ECCO have adapted to recent events and are now trying to return, as far as possible, to normal. In the meantime, the whole ECCO Team has worked and continues to work hard to continue providing high-quality research, education and training opportunities with the aim of disseminating the ‘best’ standard of care for patients affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet © ECCO

Dear ECCO Friends,

Welcome to the last issue of ECCO News for 2022!

In ECCO News Issue 4 our Associate Editors have continued with the second episode of a new interesting series Meet the JCC Authors where Maria Chaparro and Mette Julsgaard are discussing their recent paper in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis titled: "Surgery due to Inflammatory Bowel Disease During Pregnancy: Mothers and Offspring Outcomes From an ECCO CONFER Multicentre Case Series [Scar Study]".

Dear ECCO friends and family,

We are delighted to announce the new series of podcast of the Journal of Crohns and Colitis (JCC)! The editorial team of ECCO News is taking over the task to bring you the best articles of JCC in a short and entertaining interview format. The authors will comment on their findings and we will discuss future directions and new areas of research in the topic and in the field of IBD.

In this first episode, we will dive into new applications of intestinal ultrasound in IBD and its potential as non-invasive method with Dr. de Voogd from Amstrerdam UMC from the article entitled: «Intestinal Ultrasound Early on in Treatment Follow-up Predicts Endoscopic Response to Anti-TNFα Treatment in Crohn’s Disease».

Welcome to our new podcast: Meet the JCC Authors !

Nuha Yassin © Nuha Yassin

Dear ECCO friends and family,

It is my pleasure to introduce the National Representatives of France at ECCO, Maeva Charkaoui & Anthony Buisson. We hope you enjoy getting to know them through this interview.

Best Wishes,

Nuha Yassin

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

ECCO News Associate Editor

Robin Dart © ECCO

ECCO is an ever-expanding organisation with educational activities which extend throughout the year. For this ECCO News I spoke with Nicole Eichinger, the Executive Director of ECCO, to find out a bit more about her and how the ECCO Team work behind the scenes to keep this vital organisation running as smoothly as it does.