Challenges in IBD

Since 1967, CCFA has been identifying the needs of the research community and developing action plans to meet those needs. As technology and science advanced, CCFA created a highly successful strategic plan known as Challenges in IBD Research. Launched in 1990, this comprehensive plan has been updated periodically to reflect leading-edge scientific thinking and advances in research. 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.

Adult Challenges in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The Challenges were updated in 2002, bringing together leading basic and clinical scientists, who joined forces to identify the priorities and resources that are essential for moving research from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. The meeting resulted in nine areas of interest to accelerate the pace of research. By actively developing a group of related studies in each area, as well as raising the dollars necessary to fund these initiatives, CCFA is directing the course of IBD research.
Please read Challenges in IBD Research: Updating the Scientific Agenda; the article that was published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in March 2003 based on these findings.

For additional information on each of the basic or clinical topics that were presented at the Adult Challenges meeting in 2002, read the original scientific papers below.

Basic Science

• Genetics
• Genetic Evaluation for Diagnosis and Prognosis
• Immunoregulation
• Biomarkers for Dysplasia and Cancer
• Signal Transduction
• Host-Microbial Interactions
• Microbial Ecology
• Epithelial Cell Biology
• Tissue Injury and Fibrogenesis

Clinical Science

• Outcome Measures for Clinical Trials
• Epidemiology
• Surgical Therapy
• Medical Therapy
• Clinical Phenomics

Over the years, CCFA has developed major research initiatives based on the Challenges directives. These include:

• DNA and Cell Line Bank, a repository of cell lines and tissue samples from patients and family members with IBD that researchers can use to expand their understanding of genetics.
• CCFA's Clinical Alliance comprises institutions that conduct clinical trials to answer questions that may not be addressed by other organizations, such as medical centers and pharmaceutical companies.

In addition, CCFA has released two RFA's to meet the goals set forth in Challenges: the Study of Microbial Antigens in IBD and Biomarkers of Colon Cancer in IBD. Future RFA's are in production in the areas of identifying Surrogate Markers, Regulatory T-Cells, and Genes Associated with IBD.

updated 5/13/08