Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2025
A TNBS-Induced Rodent Model to Study the Pathogenic Role of Mechanical Stress in Crohn's Disease
Published on: March 1, 2022
Novel fibro-inflammatory biomarkers associated with disease activity in patients with Crohn's disease
M Pehrsson1, M S Alexdóttir1, M A Karsdal1
1Nordic Bioscience A/S, Herlev, Denmark.
Insights
Assessing Crohn's disease (CD) activity is difficult. Novel biomarkers for ECM remodeling and immune cell activity, alongside the fibro-inflammation concept, offer improved CD assessment and management.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Crohn's disease (CD) assessment is challenging due to complex pathobiologic processes like ECM remodeling, mucosal damage, and intestinal fibrosis.
- Current assessment methods (endoscopy, imaging) have limitations in accurately reflecting disease activity and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of novel biomarkers for assessing CD activity and progression.
- To introduce the concept of fibro-inflammation for a comprehensive assessment of CD.
Main Methods:
- Literature review based on PubMed searches from July 2022 to November 2022.
- Identification of novel biomarkers reflecting ECM remodeling and immune cell activity.
Main Results:
- Novel biomarkers, including collagen fragments and serum calprotectin, can accurately reflect CD activity and progression.
- The fibro-inflammation concept integrates inflammation, mucosal damage, tissue remodeling, and fibrosis for comprehensive assessment.
Conclusions:
- Intestinal fibrosis can sustain and exacerbate chronic inflammation, leading to treatment non-response.
- Evaluating novel biomarkers for fibro-inflammatory disease activity is crucial for clinical settings and trials.
- Improved assessment of CD activity will lead to better disease management and treatment strategies.
Introduction:
Crohn's disease (CD) is a complex disease, and assessing activity is challenging due to pathobiologic process e.g. ECM remodeling, mucosal damage, and intestinal fibrosis, which greatly limits current disease activity assessments through e.g. endoscopy and imaging techniques.
Areas Covered:
The review highlights the importance of novel biomarkers reflecting ECM remodeling and immune cell activity that accurately reflect CD activity and progression. Such biomarkers could include collagen formation and degradation fragments and a serum fragment of calprotectin, reflecting neutrophil activity. A new concept, fibro-inflammation, is also introduced in the review, in which all aspects of mucosal damage, such as inflammation, mucosal damage, tissue remodeling, intestinal fibrosis, and fibrosis resolution, should be assessed. PubMed searches performed from July 2022 - November 2022 provided the scientific information included in the review.
Expert Opinion:
Current data suggest intestinal fibrosis may sustain and exacerbate chronic inflammation, leading to non-response to anti-inflammatory treatments. Therefore, evaluating novel biomarkers reflecting different stages of fibro-inflammatory disease activity should be done in a clinical setting and considered for clinical trials. This approach will help accurately assess disease activity, leading to better management and treatment of CD.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:29Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...