A new test to help find the right treatment for the right person at the right time

What is this research looking at? 

We have more treatments for Crohn’s and Colitis than ever before. And more new treatments are being developed. However, at the moment we cannot predict which treatment will work best for which person. So, doctors and nurses often use a ‘one size fits all’ approach to deciding which treatments to use and in what order. But almost half of all people given a particular medicine will not respond well to it. Many people need to try several medicines before they find one that works well for them. This can mean that people with Crohn’s and Colitis:

• Have longer flare-ups that are harder to treat.
• Have increased risk of disease complications.
• Are more likely to experience side effects from their medicines.

We know that the bugs that live in your gut are different in people with Crohn’s or Colitis than those without. These bugs are called microbes and include bacteria, fungi and viruses. Researchers think that if we can understand these gut microbes a bit better, we might be able to predict whether someone is more likely to respond to a particular treatment. This means that doctors and nurses will be able to tailor treatment to an individual person. This will give people the best chance of finding a medicine that works for them first time.

The researchers will use poo samples collected from people who have started treatments for Crohn’s or Colitis in Canada. These samples will be compared to poo samples collected from people who started treatments in the UK. The researchers will look at the microbes in the poo samples. They will see if there is any connection between the treatment the person was on, their response to the treatment and the microbes in their gut. They hope to find that certain combinations of microbes can predict the response to individual medicines.

Doing this research across two groups of people from different countries helps us to know that the results can be applied to a broad range of people.

What do researchers think this could mean for people with Crohn's and Colitis?  

The researchers hope that this research will lead to the development of a test to help decide which treatment is best suited to each person with Crohn’s or Colitis. This means that there will be a greater chance of success with treatment and a reduced risk of complications and side effects.

This research may also show that certain microbes in the gut lead to a better or worse outcome. This may lead to the development of other treatment strategies and research.

Who is leading this research: Dr Chris Lamb, Newcastle University

Our Funding: £69,778

Duration: 24 months 

Official title of application: Impact of the gut microbiome on medical treatment response in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.