Giga - Annual report 2015

Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease

(IBD) affecting the gastro-intestinal tract. CD often begins at

young age and lasts the whole life. The prevalence is 20-30%

higher for women than for men.

CD is characterized by a sequence of active disease episodes

(flare-ups) and remissions of variable duration. The chronicity

of CD has a significant impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL).

Genetic susceptibility, modified composition of the gut micro-

biota and impaired function of the mucosal immune system

are the main known contributors to the etiology of CD. Howe-

ver, the primary cause remains unknown.

Curative therapies do not yet exist and the current best treat-

ments are symptoms relieving therapies. The drug of choice

and treatment strategies depend on the clinical characteris-

tics and severity of the disease.

Mild disease may be treated by mesalazine or no treatment

with limited number of courses of topical steroids.

The gold standard of care for moderate to severe Crohn’s

disease is the Combo therapy, the uninterrupted combination

of anti-TNFα monoclonal antibodies and immunosuppres-

sant. However, this kind of treatment raises safety and costs

issues.

Coordination and partners

CHU is the coordinator of the BIOCYCLE project. CHU has

contributed to the design of the SPARE study protocol and is

involved in the SPARE clinical trial with Belgian centres. CHU

leads the proteomics exploratory research on new biomarkers

associated with disease relapse, disease progression and

mucosal healing, with the help of GIGA (ULg), as third party.

CHU is also responsible for the coordination of the SPARE

biobanking.

The participating members are Edouard Louis, Marie-Alice

Meuwis and Marcella Chavez.

The BIOCYCLE project involves a consortium between 13

partners.

Indeed, anti-TNFα is the most expensive medication and

potential adverse effects are associated with the Combo

therapy, namely cancers and possible increase of severe

infections. In addition, patients are exposed to class-specific

drug complications.