Understanding bowel disease risk in family members

This research study is looking for healthy brothers, sisters, and children (ages 0–55) of people diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. The researchers want to collect blood samples and study immune cells from family members who don't have bowel disease yet, to understand why some families are at much higher risk of developing these conditions than others.

Scientists know that inflammatory bowel disease runs in families, and people whose relatives have the condition are at higher risk. However, genes alone don't explain why some families are so heavily affected. This study aims to uncover other biological factors — particularly in the immune system — that might explain why certain families face greater risk.