Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a term used to describe two conditions, Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. These lifelong illnesses flare at intervals, producing debilitating symptoms including cramping abdominal pains, anaemia, weight loss and diarrhoea. They require on-going drug therapy, and many patients also require major surgery.
In the UK, more than 300,000 people are affected by IBD. The exact causes of Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis are unclear, but there is evidence that IBD can cluster in families and having an affected family member is a risk factor.
In January 2016, a new research resource was launched nationally to recruit people with IBD to help investigators better understand Crohn’s and colitis and find new treatments. The NIHR IBD BioResource sits within the NIHR BioResource - comprising volunteers from around the England who are willing to be approached to participate in research studies and trials on the basis of their genetic makeup or clinical features.
The NIHR IBD BioResource began in Cambridge just over a year ago, and the team have had a lot of interest across the country from people who want to take part. More centres are opening up for recruitment. Cambridge has recruited its 1,000th patient, and nationally 1,000 more have been recruited in the last few months alone.
The NIHR IBD BioResource recruits people diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis and asks them to provide a small blood sample and clinical data. Researchers then study the genetic makeup of these samples. People who sign up to the NIHR IBD BioResource are then invited back to participate in future research studies and this could involve giving another blood sample or a stool sample, completing a questionnaire or participating in a trial.
Dr Miles Parkes, a consultant gastroenterologist at Cambridge University Hospitals and national lead for the NIHR IBD BioResource project, said: “We have been delighted by the positive response to this project since we launched it in January 2016. 1,000 of our Cambridge patients with Crohn’s or colitis are now signed up to help research into these conditions – and we hope that many more from around the UK will join in the months ahead. We want to get 25,000 recruits over the next 3 years. The whole point is to have an interactive resource which allows the amazing progress in genetics seen in recent years to be translated into clinical benefit.”
Wendy Edwards, Research Manager at Crohn’s and Colitis said: “The recruitment of the first 1000 patients to the NIHR IBD Bioresource is a landmark moment and we are delighted to have part funded the project. With access to this growing resource, researchers can identify new pathways to better diagnosis and treatments for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. The NIHR IBD Bioresource offers new hope to people who live with these chronic conditions on a daily basis, by opening new doors to new discoveries.”
About The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR is the research arm of the NHS. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world.
For further information, visit the NIHR website www.nihr.ac.uk
About Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre
Based within the most outstanding NHS and University partnerships in the country, the Biomedical Research Centres are leaders in scientific translation. Located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, they receive substantial levels of funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to translate fundamental biomedical research into clinical research that benefits patients and they are early adopters of new. www.cambridge-brc.org.uk
About the NIHR BioResource
The NIHR BioResource is an NIHR initiative and has been established at seven of the Biomedical Research Centres – Cambridge, Imperial, King’s/Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s/South London and Maudsley, Oxford, University College London Hospitals, Newcastle and one Biomedical Research Unit, the Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit. It is headquartered within the Cambridge BRC site, the purpose of the resource is to provide a gateway for patients and healthy volunteers to engage in medical research. The Rare Diseases team of the NIHR BioResource supports clinical care teams in the recruitment participants with rare diseases, and their close relatives in the 100,000 Genomes Project.
www.bioresource.nihr.ac.uk
About Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH)
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) is one of the largest and best known hospitals in the country. As well as delivering care through Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, it is also:
- a leading national centre for specialist treatment for rare or complex conditions
- a government-designated biomedical research centre
- one of only five academic health science centres in the UK
- a university teaching hospital with a worldwide reputation
- a partner in the development of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus
CUH’s vision is to be one of the best academic healthcare organisations in the world.
Researchers hope more people will come forward to sign up as volunteers for the NIHR IBD BioResource, to help better understand IBD and develop new treatments for those who are living with this condition.
More information can be found at: www.ibdbioresource.nihr.ac.uk or www.bioresource.nihr.ac.uk
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