Progressing from Genetics to Function and Clinical Translation in Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a chronic, incurable inflammatory process affecting the human bowel in as many as 0.5% of the population. Although their pathogenesis remains poorly understood, it is clear that dysregulation of the immune response is involved, with and inflammatory process centered on the bowel mucosa. IBD has been at the forefront of complex disease for over 20 years, and 260 genetic regions are now robustly associated with risk of IBD development. We at the Sanger Institute, under the auspices of the UK IBD Genetics Consortium, have led many of the studies which identified these regions

In this project we wish to build on our previous success by utilising the samples and data available in IBD bioresource to 1) identify additional genetic regions influencing IBD susceptibility, progression and treatment response, 2) understand how these genetic regions change normal biology to have their effect on IBD and 3) develop tools to identify individuals at risk of IBD, and predict disease course and treatment response.