Jihye Park © Jihye Park

Most patients with chronic IBD are diagnosed at a young age. After baseline diagnosis many of these young patients have to undergo repeated imaging procedures during the variable clinical course of their disease. Ultrasound, CT and MRI are used to image transmural alterations and extra-intestinal manifestations of the disease and to monitor response to treatment. 

Janneke van der Woude © ECCO

One of the main goals of ECCO is to promote IBD-related basic and clinical research as well as to foster interaction and productive collaboration among European research groups working in the IBD field. To achieve this goal, ECCO continues to award Grants, Fellowships and Travel Awards.

For 2018 the number of awardees has increased to an amazing total of more than 30.

Shomron Ben-Horin © ECCO

Michael Scharl © ECCO

Fat in IBD – Much more than an innocent bystander 

Within the framework of the 6^th SciCom Workshop, the role of fat and lipids in IBD pathogenesis was highlighted. Six highly interesting talks shed light on the fact that fat is much more than an innocent bystander in IBD.

Arie Levine © ECCO

Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) is an exciting and evolving methodology to transform the microbiota in microbiota-related diseases. The rationale behind FMT is "transfer of a healthy microbiota" from a donor to a patient with IBD, leading to a change in recipient microbiota towards that of a healthy donor. However, current methods are simplistic. Random healthy donors do not necessarily have an appropriate microbiota, and transferred microbiota may not colonise the recipient’s gut. Diet can rapidly degrade certain taxa or increase others, such that if the recipient diet is not appropriate, donor microbiota expansion may not occur or functionality may be impaired.

Salome de Pinho © ECCO

Aims of the research

The current therapeutic strategies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are limited by effectiveness and/or toxicity, and the selection of patients for therapy remains a major challenge. These clinical concerns highlight the unmet need to identify key mechanisms (molecular markers) capable of being selectively targeted with new and optimised therapies. Glycosylation is a major post-translational mechanism characterised by the addition of carbohydrate structures (glycans) to essentially all cells [1]. Evidence in other immune-mediated disorders has shown that protein N-glycosylation, particularly branched N-glycans, regulates T cell immune response and controls the threshold of T cell activation [2].

Bram Verstockt © ECCO

Aims of the research

The introduction of new non-anti-TNF agents such as the anti-adhesion and anti-IL-12/IL-23 molecules will increase the therapeutic armamentarium for patients with IBD. It is nevertheless anticipated that clinical response and adverse events will vary significantly between individuals. Therefore, we need predictors of efficacy and safety so that we can select the right drug at the right time for the right patient. Targeted strategies in patients with poor prognostic factors and head-to-head trials are currently lacking.