Donate samples and share medical information to help researchers understand bowel diseases

Back to Inflammatory Bowel Disease trials

Recruiting

What is this trial?

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are trying to understand why some people develop inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. By studying blood and tissue samples from patients and healthy volunteers, they hope to discover the immune system abnormalities that cause these conditions and use those discoveries to create better treatments in the future.

Inflammatory bowel diseases cause painful inflammation in the gut, but doctors still don't fully understand why they develop or how to prevent them. This study aims to fill that knowledge gap by looking at the molecular and genetic roots of these diseases, which could lead to entirely new ways to treat or even prevent them.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or symptoms suggesting inflammatory bowel disease
you have blood test results showing normal blood counts (hematocrit above 30%, platelets above 100,000) if you're having a biopsy
you are between 0 and 75 years old (or over 18 if you're a healthy volunteer)
you are able to give your own consent to participate
you are willing to donate blood samples and possibly have a colonoscopy with tissue biopsies

You likely don't qualify if…

you have very low blood counts or blood clotting problems that would make a biopsy unsafe
you cannot travel to the NIH Clinical Center or participate in the study visits
you are under 18 years old (unless you have inflammatory bowel disease symptoms, in which case younger children may be eligible)
you are unable or unwilling to have blood drawn or endoscopy procedures

What participation looks like

If you qualify, you may be seen as an outpatient or inpatient at the NIH Clinical Center. You will donate blood samples and may have a colonoscopy (a camera procedure to look at your intestines) with small tissue biopsies taken for research. Researchers will also review your medical history and may ask about your symptoms. Some participants may participate by mail, sending in samples without traveling to the clinic. The study is ongoing, so you may be contacted periodically for follow-up samples or information.

Understanding immune system problems in bowel inflammation diseases

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(1 site)