Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
Participating in research studies is one of the best ways children and families can help improve care for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our IBD physicians and scientists at Cincinnati Children’s are leaders in several areas of research and offer patients opportunities to take part in studies at every stage of their health journey.
All of the IBD Center’s pediatric gastroenterologists lead or participate in basic and clinical research studies, including some that enroll patients from all around the United States. Current research topics include:
- New, noninvasive ways to assess how active a child’s disease is
- Ways to determine how a child’s IBD will progress over time
- How to optimize biologic dosing regimens for children
- Genes and how they affect IBD
- How stem cells in the intestine and intestinal lining contribute to IBD
- How the immune system and environmental risk factors contribute to IBD
- How shared decision-making with families can improve patient care
The IBD Center’s research program receives between $5 million and $6 million a year in grant support. We are grateful for the generous funding we receive from organizations such as the National Institutes for Health, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, CURE 4 IBD, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, and the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization.
Learn more about clinical studies that are enrolling patients now by visiting our clinical studies web page. For more information about a specific study or to ask about enrollment, talk your child’s physician or nurse practitioner.
Today’s Research Leads to Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs
Patients and families who participate in clinical research are helping to move science forward to improve the lives of children with inflammatory bowel disease. In recent years, Cincinnati Children’s has led several studies that have made a difference in the way doctors care for children with IBD, including those listed below.
- The RISK Stratification Study followed over 1,000 children from 28 centers in the U.S. and Canada with newly diagnosed Crohn’s disease over five years of treatment. The primary results were published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet and showed how to predict which patients are at high risk for complications from their Crohn’s disease. This study has greatly increased our knowledge regarding the microbiome, genetics and the effectiveness of various treatments in pediatric Crohn’s disease.
- The PROTECT Study assessed the effect of standardized treatment with mesalamine and steroid drugs in over 400 children from 29 centers in U.S. and Canada who were newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The primary results were published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet and showed that 38% of patients will be able to achieve remission on mesalamine. It also showed new ways to predict which patients will go on to need anti-TNF biology therapy. This study has greatly increased our knowledge regarding the microbiome and biology of ulcerative colitis.
- The REMODEL-CD Study is enrolling 180 children with Crohn’s disease across 13 medical centers in the United States to assess whether a new way of dosing infliximab will achieve better outcomes over the first year of therapy. This study is being led by the physicians at Cincinnati Children’s and we anticipate final results over the next few years. Overall, the trial will determine if a more personalized approach to dosing infliximab will improve the rate of complete intestinal healing. The GEM (Genetic, Environmental, and Microbial) Study follows healthy siblings and close family members with Crohn’s disease patients over several years to understand why some people develop IBD and others do not. The study found that the changes in the gut and immune system can be present years before symptoms appear, and that early-life experiences matter. Current data supports that growing up in a large household or with a dog may lower risk, while growing up with a bird in the home may increase risk.
