Challenges in IBD Research

Since 1967, CCFA has invested over $150 million in IBD research.  As technology and science advanced, CCFA recruited the top IBD thought leaders from around the world to identify the priorities and resources that are essential for moving research from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside.  The consensus report resulted in a highly successful strategic plan known as Challenges in IBD Research. The Challenges directives provide a roadmap for all of CCFA's research programs. Launched in 1990, this comprehensive plan is updated periodically to reflect leading-edge scientific thinking and advances in research.

The current edition may be found here.

Challenges in Pediatric IBD

CCFA has long recognized that our youngest patients are not just "little adults" and that pediatric IBD has some unique needs. In 2005, CCFA held its first Pediatric Challenges in IBD conference. Some of the best physicians in the country gathered in Boston to discuss pertinent avenues of research for our pediatric community. Representatives from numerous disciplines were present, including: pediatric gastroenterologists, pathologists, microbiologists, adult gastroenterologists, and psychiatrists, among others, resulting in five initiatives for future pediatric IBD research. These include: Growth/Bone Development, Genetics, Quality Improvement, Immune Response, and Psychosocial Issues.

The Challenges in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease article may be found here.

Research Resources

The Challenges directives also identified resources that were deemed critical to promote research.  These include:

• IBD DNA Bank, a repository of approximately 1000 DNA samples from patients and family memberswith IBD or matched controls that researchers can use to expand their understanding of IBD genetics.  Phenotype and genotype information is provided for each sample.  The collection open to all qualified researchers.  Further information may be found here.

• Clinical Research Alliance is composed of clinicians at academic  institutions and in private practice  who conduct clinical trials to answer questions that may not be addressed by other organizations, such as pharmaceutical companies. Further information and application forms may be found here.

• PRO-KIIDS Pediatric Network:  similar to the Clinical Research Alliance above, the Pediatric Network is a consortium of pediatric IBD academic centers and private practices that have agreed to share data across a common data platform in order to answer important clinical questions in childhood onset IBD.  Further information and application forms may be found here.

updated 4/22/11