Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an ongoing or chronic health problem that causes inflammation and swelling in the digestive tract. The irritation causes bleeding sores called ulcers to form along the digestive tract. This in turn can cause crampy, abdominal pain and severe bloody diarrhea.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that affects the large intestines, particularly the colon. It is classified as one of the two inflammatory bowel diseases along with Crohn’s disease.

Ulcerative Colitis Causes

Genetics of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Pregnancy

Dysbiosis and the Microbiome

Mesentery: a new organ?

FODMAP Research

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer

Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)

Latest Inflammatory Bowel Disease News and Research

AGA announces $2.4 million in research funding for 74 recipients

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is proud to announce the selection of 74 recipients to receive $2.4 million in research funding through the annual AGA Research Foundation Awards Program.

22 Apr 2025

Gut bacteria turn bile acids into allies against cancer

Bacteria naturally present in the human intestine, known as the gut microbiota, can transform cholesterol-derived bile acids into powerful metabolites that strengthen anti-cancer immunity by blocking androgen signaling, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

16 Apr 2025

High cholesterol may not signal heart disease risk in metabolically healthy people

The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers across multiple institutions, has published a new study that challenges the long-held belief that high cholesterol correlates and even directly causes coronary artery disease, or plaque buildup in the arteries in metabolically healthy individuals.

7 Apr 2025

Genetic research offers hope for children with rare intestinal disorders

Further genetic testing would show that Sophie has one of a group of rare conditions called CODE (congenital diarrhea and enteropathies) that disrupts the function of cells in the intestine, causing diarrhea and preventing infants from absorbing the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.

3 Apr 2025

Annual COVID-19 boosters crucial for immunocompromised individuals

New research findings provide solid evidence that annual COVID-19 vaccine booster doses continue to be advisable for certain immunocompromised people, researchers at McGill University say.

1 Apr 2025

Study reveals disparities in healthcare utilization among racial and ethnic groups with IBD

A study published today in the American Journal of Gastroenterology reveals significant disparities in healthcare utilization among racial and ethnic groups with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the United States.

1 Apr 2025

Machine learning identifies key comorbidities predicting premature death in IBD patients

Researchers use machine learning models to investigate patterns between multimorbidity and premature deaths among decedents with irritable bowel disease.

28 Mar 2025

Harnessing intestinal microbes to combat inflammation and infections

Despite being an everyday necessity, nutrition is something of a black box. We know that many plant-based foods are good for us, but we don't always know why.

27 Mar 2025

Scientists link emulsifiers in processed foods to allergy and immune disorders

Review identifies common food additives in ultra-processed foods—particularly emulsifiers like carrageenan and polysorbate 80—as key drivers of gut dysbiosis, inflammation, and allergic diseases by disrupting intestinal barriers and activating proinflammatory pathways.

26 Mar 2025

City of Hope researchers uncover the two-step process of tumor formation

Researchers at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. with its National Medical Center named top 5 in the nation for cancer by U.S. News & World Report, have found that cell mutations are necessary but not always sufficient for tumors to form.

26 Mar 2025

Researchers unlock key process for regenerating intestinal cells after injury

Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have solved a cellular mystery that may lead to better therapies for colorectal and other types of cancer.

25 Mar 2025

Research identifies pressure-sensing protein behind gut motility

After every meal, the intestines perform an action called peristalsis - moving food through their hollow interiors with coordinated contractions and relaxations of the smooth muscle.

25 Mar 2025

Epstein-Barr virus triggers inflammatory cell death in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing disease that causes painful inflammation and ulcers in the colon.

24 Mar 2025

Machine learning helps predict early mortality in IBD patients

Almost half of people who died with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) died prematurely, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241117 that used machine learning models to predict death.

24 Mar 2025