Pediatric IBD 'Challenges' Aims to Improve Health and Well-Being of Children
Five primary research areas could ease pain of Crohn’s and Colitis.
New York, NY (PRWEB) September 8, 2006 -- For the 140,000 kids and teens growing up with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, there’s hope for a brighter future. A strategic research initiative announced today by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) takes aim at five primary research areas in hopes of eradicating these two devastating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
CCFA’s initiative, titled “Challenges in Pediatric IBD Research,” forms a strategic roadmap for pediatric IBD research over the next five years, concentrating on five primary research areas. CCFA has partnered with the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) in the development of the landmark plan. The plan was published this week in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, CCFA’s peer-reviewed journal for medical professionals.
“There is an urgent need for specialized research and a centralized database of collective knowledge in pediatric IBD,” said Richard J. Geswell, president of CCFA. “Most of the scientific information about and therapeutic approaches for IBD to date has been obtained by studying adult patients and cells in culture. While all of this work benefits patients of all ages, it’s clear that children have special needs that must also be addressed if we’re going to continue to make serious headway and find vital clues that could lead to a major medical breakthrough, enhanced treatments or a cure for these life-altering diseases.”
CCFA has taken the lead role in organizing and conducting a number of workgroups, composed of specialists in various disciplines from around the world, to survey the current state of knowledge and identify the most pressing issues that need to be addressed in pediatric IBD. CCFA has brought together clinical and basic science researchers to help prioritize the initial focus for the next generation of “platform-building” research, later identified as the following five areas:
1. Growth and Skeletal Health – focused on nutrient utilization for normal growth, hormonal abnormalities, effects of IBD treatments on a child’s growth, optimizing bone development and the overall impact of pediatric IBD on skeletal health.
2. Genetics – focused on accurately matching genotypes, a person’s genetic profile, with phenotypes, the observed properties of the individual’s disease, as well as large-scale, gene-environment interactions studies.
3. Quality Improvement – focused on funding studies to identify underused, overused, or misused, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to pediatric IBD. CCFA also plans to form a collaborative Pediatric IBD Research Network to enable clinical studies in all focus areas.
4. Immunology – focused on innate and adaptive immunity, developmental aspects of mucosal immunity and target antigens of the immune responses in the cells lining the intestines of children with IBD as well as effects of therapy on the immune response and overall immune function.
5. Psychological Issues and Development – focused on biological and social risk factors to better understand the interactions of brain, gut, immune system and environmental influences on depression, anxiety and other mental health issues in children and teenagers with IBD.
CCFA is committed to developing and funding research in these five key areas. The Foundation has already issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for studies in Growth and Skeletal Health and is seeking funding for the applications that meet approval. The deadline for submission of applications is January 14, 2007. For a copy of the RFP, visit www.ccfaprofessionals.org.
“It’s important to emphasize that pediatric IBD differs from adult IBD in a number of important respects, mainly the failure to thrive and grow adequately,” said Francisco Sylvester, chair of CCFA’s Pediatric Affairs Committee and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. “The early steps that we’re taking with CCFA are not only visionary, but also revolutionary when it comes to creating a common, open database of clinical knowledge and a cohesive network for researchers to make leapfrog advancements.”
Sylvester added, “We’re just beginning to realize the complexity of these gastrointestinal diseases. We’re looking to understand why we’re seeing a fairly dramatic increase of reported cases in younger and younger children and hope this concerted strategy of research and knowledge sharing may someday unlock the secrets of this growing problem.”
To learn more about CCFA’s Challenge in Pediatric IBD Research, including the Early Warning Signs of Pediatric IBD, visit www.ccfa.org or call 800-932-2423.
About Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis inflames the large intestine (colon) only. Symptoms may include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramps, rectal bleeding, fever, and weight loss. Many patients require hospitalization and surgery. These illnesses can cause severe complications, including colon cancer in patients with long-term disease. Some 1.4 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.
About CCFA
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's (CCFA) mission is to cure and prevent Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis through research, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these digestive diseases through education and support. More than 80 cents of every dollar the Foundation spends goes to mission-critical programs. CCFA consistently meets the standards of organizations that monitor charities, including the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) and the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org). For more information, or to make a contribution, please contact CCFA at 800-932-2423 or visit www.ccfa.org.
About NASPGHAN
The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, founded in 1972, is the only society in North America and the largest in the world, dedicated to serving the Pediatric Gastroenterology and nutrition communities. NASPGHAN was established to advance the understanding of the normal development and physiology of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver of infants in infants, children and adolescents, and to foster the dissemination of this knowledge through scientific meetings, professional education, public education, and interaction with other organizations concerned with Pediatric Gastroenterology and nutrition. Visit at our website, www.naspghan.org.
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