Research in IBD. Be Part Of It.

[IBDresearch]

Dear friends,
I will be undertaking a PhD in an aspect of IBD shortly. Still brainstorming and working through potential research ideas. I am based in UK, and work as a doctor. I would like to hear from you about shortcomings in your IBD management and where you think current research in IBD should be focused towards. This way we can work towards project ideas together which will be performed in the next three years at a large IBD centre. You have the opportunity to be part of it and guide research to where you feel it is needed and not where pharmaceutical companies think will benefit them the most. This is your chance for something big! Thanks,

Regards
Dr Q.

 

[xJillx]

Hi and welcome! I am still new to the IBD game, but I think the biggest issue that I see with my IBD management is it is so unpredictable. I greatly fear this disease, because I never know when it is going to hit. One day I feel pretty good, and the next I could be awful. I wish research would focus on finding treatment (I know a cure would be dreaming) that is more affective in maintaining remission and with less side effects.

 

[IBDresearch]

Hi Jill,
I'm sorry to hear about the unpredictable nature of your relapses. Part of the problem is that we are still trying to figure out what causes a flare in stable colitis, and as understanding grows rapidly behind the multifactorial mechanism of the disease from genetic to immunological and microbiological triggers so does therapeutic options. Wonder why some people only have once flare of colitis ever, where as some people cannot seem to maintain remission despite biologicals and have really severe fistulating disease? Certain genes have been found to have associations with the severity of the disease however this is an area still needing a lot of work to translate these findings clinically. But the current understanding of the illness is changing, and there is a drive towards more personalised therapy because of the heterogeneity of the disease.

Dr Q

 

[dreamintwilight]

I am interested to see more research on how diet and supplements influence disease. So many people on here seem to have wonderful vitamin and diet regiments that are successful in controlling or minimizing flare-ups. But, I still feel medical doctors only have minimal advice when it comes to advising their patients. I don't think diet or supplements alone can treat disease, but they seem to greatly help a lot of people. Why don't more doctors incorporate these into their treatment plans along with medications?