The network on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The network on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is one of Germany’s first medical competence networks. These networks have been promoted by the German federal ministry of education and research (BMBF) since early 1999. The IBD network was launched by four university hospitals, located in Kiel, Berlin, Regensburg and Tuebingen. As leaders of research into Crohn?s disease and ulcerative colitis, these hospitals form the core facilities of the network. Additional centers of the network include the department of general medicine at the Charité in Berlin, the nationwide self-help organisation DCCV (German Crohn?s & Ulcerative Colitis Foundation), and over 100 hospitals and scientific institutions.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that can also affect other organ systems (bones and joints, skin, eyes). The main symptoms are usually bloody diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain and complications including the development of fistula and stenoses. The diseases typically affect young adults. Quality of life is often greatly diminished for the patients. To this day there is no way to cure the more than 300,000 patients with IBD in Germany.

The network’s goal is to explore the molecular epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease, create novel models, establish national clinical study platforms, and determine the social and economic implications resulting not only from the chronic disease but also the therapies. Research is benchmarked at the level of international competition. Germany (and in particular the groups in the competence network) have taken a leading role on the international level for the benefit of academic institutions and the European pharmaceutical industry. Research in this area also yields results that can be applied to other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism or asthma.

The network maintains large material and phenotype banks (including DNA, serum and tissue). A central facility for animal models has been set up. Study coordination, quality control and biometric counselling are provided through central facilities that include an Internet-based clinical study platform.

Nine working groups and 21 scientific projects have joined the network on Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Their common goal is to shorten the distance from bench to bedside. The network also supports the aims of the National Genome Research Network (NGFN), where it contributes to the integration of patient resources in the clinical network on environmental disorders.

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