Crohn's Disease
About Crohn’s Disease
Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine. It primarily causes ulcerations (breaks in the lining) of the small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system at any point from the mouth to the anus. Once the disease begins, it tends to fluctuate between periods of inactivity (remission) and activity (relapse). It affects approximately 500,000 to two million people in the United States. The aggressive nature of this inflammatory disease varies from one patient to another one, depending on disease activity. CD cannot be cured and relapse is frequent. After several months/years activity, complications such as strictures, abscesses and resistance to treatment may occur and thus require specific management. This is why assessment of inflammatory activity in CD is vital in the management of patients and in monitoring the effects of therapy. Disease activity is usually evaluated using clinical parameters, endoscopy, or biochemical markers such as C Reactive Protein (CRP) concentrations. However, there is no test available to predict the severity of the disease. In addition, prediction of this severity using a biomarker would lead to more effective medical management of the patients. In order to satisfy this unmet need, we are developing the Crohn Dx, a non-invasive multigene molecular diagnostic blood test intended to aid in the identification of CD patients at high risk of evolving toward a severe disease.