Brigida Barberio © ECCO

Dear IBD colleagues and friends,

Warm greetings from the ECCO News Team!

Are you enjoying the Christmas holiday season, with its magic and heart-touching atmosphere, plenty of family love and centuries-old traditions?

Well, enjoy it all but please also start thinking about our equally sensational 20th Congress of ECCO, which will take place in the progressive and inclusive city of Berlin, from February 19 - 22, 2025.

Britta Siegmund © ECCO

Dear ECCO Friends,

As the year 2024 draws to a close, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the final edition of ECCO News for this year—marking not just a reflection on an exciting year, but also my last foreword as President of ECCO. How time flies!

It has been a privilege to guide ECCO through a year of growth and progress. And now, we are on the brink of something extraordinary—the 20th ECCO Congress! This milestone event will once again align with our REACH strategy, focusing on “Sustainability in IBD and Beyond.” It is a great honour and pleasure to welcome you all to my hometown of Berlin!

Spyros Siakavellas © ECCO

Dear ECCO friends and family,

It is with great pleasure that I am sharing with you our discussion with the ECCO National Representatives of Latvia Jelena Derova (former National Representative) and Aleksejs Derovs. During our stimulating talk we touched upon the challenges regarding the diagnosis and access to advanced treatment of IBD in Latvia and the efforts of the small but tightly knit gastroenterological community there to promote knowledge about IBD in primary care and society in general. Furthermore, we conversed about the differences in training and managing complex cases between countries in Eastern and Western Europe and how ECCO could help countries such as Latvia in that aspect!

Enjoy!

Spyros Siakavellas
ECCO News Associate Editor

Dear ECCO colleagues

We are delighted to bring a different colour to our Autumn edition of ECCO News interview corner as we meet and get to know another talented JCC author.

Nora Vladimirova is a Rheumatologist working in Copenhagen who has worked collaboratively within her unit and including the Gastroenterology one to answer important research questions regarding peripheral joint and enthesis involvement in newly diagnosed IBD patients. We hope you enjoy the discussions in both visual and podcast formats and we hope you read the full paper for more details. 

Nuha Yassin

ECCO News Associate Editor

Harry Sokol is a prominent gastroenterologist at Saint Antoine Hospital and Sorbonne Université and the President of the French Group of Faecal Microbiota Transplantation. In this edition of the ECCO Interview Corner, Professor Sokol shares his journey into gastroenterology, his pioneering work on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and the gut microbiome and his vision for the future research.

A biomarker-stratified comparison of top-down versus accelerated step-up treatment strategies for patients with newly diagnosed Crohn’s disease (PROFILE): a multicentre, open-label randomised controlled trial

Noor NM, Lee JC, Bond S, et al.

Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024;9:415–27. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(24)00034-7.

Introduction

There is debate on the optimal management of newly diagnosed active Crohn’s Disease (CD). The most commonly used treatment strategy around the world is a “step-up” treatment approach. This involves initial use of steroids at diagnosis to induce remission, followed by introduction of immunomodulators such as azathioprine to maintain that remission. Subsequently, if this treatment fails to control inflammation, patients are escalated to advanced therapies such as anti-TNF biological agents. When performed rapidly, this can be referred to as “accelerated step-up” treatment, and indeed in many countries this accelerated step-up approach is considered standard of care (conventional) treatment. An alternative treatment strategy is a more “top-down” approach , where there is early introduction of an advanced therapy, typically an anti-TNF agent.  

Subcutaneous infliximab (CT-P13 SC) as maintenance therapy for inflammatory bowel disease: two randomized phase 3 trials (LIBERTY)

Hanauer SB, Sands BE, Schreiber S, et al. 

Gastroenterology 2024 May 23. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2024.05.006. Online ahead of print.

Introduction

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), comprising the two most common subtypes of Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), are chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, particularly infliximab, have been pivotal in the management of moderate to severe IBD. While effective, intravenous administration of infliximab typically involves regular visits to hospital-based infusion centres. Particularly from a patient convenience point of view, many individuals would prefer to administer medication at home without the need to attend infusion centres and without the need for intravenous administration. The development of a subcutaneous (SC) formulation of infliximab (CT-P13) aims to enhance patient convenience and adherence by allowing self-administration at home [1–3] . In the LIBERTY trials, Hanauer and colleagues sought to examine the efficacy and safety of CT-P13 SC as maintenance therapy in IBD, in two randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials. 

Continuous monitoring of CRP, IL-6, and calprotectin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease using a perspiration-based wearable device

Shahub S, Kumar RM, Lin KC, et al.

Inflamm Bowel Dis 2024 Mar 23; doi: 10.1093/ibd/izae054. Online ahead of print.

Introduction

At present, disease activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is primarily monitored using faecal calprotectin, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and endoscopic examination [1]. Whilst these are powerful tools, all three approaches have notable limitations. Faecal calprotectin testing requires a patient either to provide a stool sample whilst attending clinic or to return with a sample at a later date. Serum CRP requires a blood sample to be taken by a healthcare professional and endoscopy is invasive. Interleukin (IL)-6, whilst not routinely used in clinical settings to monitor disease activity, is known to play a role in IBD pathogenesis by increasing T-cell resistance against apoptosis, resulting in chronic inflammation [2].   

Dear Y-ECCO Friends,

As we move into the final quarter of the year, this is the perfect time to reflect on our collective achievements and to set our sights on the exciting events that lie ahead.

At Y-ECCO, we’ve been diligently crafting an innovative programme for our upcoming Y-ECCO Science Workshop, designed to bring together our diverse community of basic scientists, clinicians and clinician-scientists. In the last edition of ECCO News, I offered a sneak peek at our shift from the Basic Science Workshop to a more inclusive Science Workshop. This transformation reflects our commitment to fostering collaboration and engagement among all Y-ECCO Members.

Histological scoring systems have been developed to standardise the assessment of microscopic inflammation, offering insights into disease severity, activity, prognosis and response to therapy. There is growing interest in the assessment of histological disease activity based on the concept that histological healing is associated with better clinical outcomes and may be the ultimate therapeutic goal, particularly in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) [1].