The new guidelines, unveiled in an article in the Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, are already having a direct impact on patient care, having been adopted in clinical pathways by the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.
More than 100 monogenic disorders can present with IBD and new genetic disorders and variants are being discovered every year. Understanding that intestinal inflammation can be caused by a single gene is vital information for patients, their families and their doctors, as it can have important implications for treatment options.
The new guidelines will help to translate the genetic discoveries of recent years into clinical practice and pave the way for more personalised or precision medicine for these patients.
The guidelines were produced by a group of clinicians and researchers including paediatric and adult gastroenterologists, immunologists and transplant specialists.
Dr Chris Lamb from Newcastle University helped to co-ordinate the guidelines - Chris is a Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Gastroenterology within Immunity and Inflammation at the Translational & Clinical Research Institute at Newcastle University. He is also an emerging leader in the NIHR Newcastle BRC’s liver disease, multimorbidity and lifestyle research theme.
He worked alongside the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s Co-theme Lead for Inflammation Across Tissues, Professor Holm Uhlig of University of Oxford’s Translational Gastroenterology Unit and Department of Paediatrics, and Dr Jochen Kammermeier from the Evelina Hospital London.
As well as the NIHR Oxford BRC, the research towards this guideline has been supported by the Cambridge and Newcastle BRCs, a transformational project of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and the Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Read the full story on the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre website