CCFC Research Outcomes
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Developing IBD ResearchThe Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) is on a mission to “Find the Cure.” We are proud to say that due to the generosity of our donors and the efforts of our volunteers, CCFC is the leading funder of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research in Canada. We are also the second largest funder of non-governmental research in the world. Since 1974, CCFC funding has nurtured growing interest in the causes and treatment of IBD. Having a steady, multi-year source of funding has meant that scientists have the means to pay for project costs such as support staff, equipment and supplies. It also means that junior scientists have the opportunity to learn and grow under the supervision of senior IBD researchers, thus ensuring an ongoing interest in gastrointestinal research. At a time when government funding for research continues to shrink, CCFC funding has become even more critical to the IBD research community.CCFC has also leveraged donated funds by creating strategic partnerships with other health research funding organizations. By striking agreements with these national and international agencies, CCFC now attracts an estimated $1 million more in matched funding each year. CCFC has also established provincial partnerships with most provincial health research agencies, which will more than double our investments in the coming years. Please visit our Annual Report online for details of these matching fund agreements. The result? Through our Grants In Aid of Research as well as a multitude of other types of grants, CCFC has built an IBD research infrastructure in this country that punches well above its weight internationally. Please visit our Research Report Card for details about how IBD research in Canada is contributing significantly to global efforts to find the cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Recent Major BreakthroughsCCFC is proud to share this research breakthrough news, as evidence that the investment we have made together in funding IBD research is making a positive difference in the lives of people living with IBD. Researchers from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) and the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine have discovered a pathway that may contribute to the symptoms related to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This CCFC-funded research is a major milestone in developing future drug therapies for those living with these debilitating disorders. The research breakthrough, published recently in the prestigious Nature Medicine, has significant implications for patient quality of life. Previously, researchers could not identify the cause of gut neuron death, and therefore no therapeutic strategies exist to prevent it. Current IBD treatment options are limited to controlling inflammation, which frequently leaves patients to still suffer with chronic gut dysfunction. As Dr. Keith Sharkey says, while this study’s findings will not cure IBD, they could lead to developing therapeutics for debilitating Crohn’s symptoms.
No discussion on CCFC-funded IBD research would be complete without reference to the Michael J. Howorth Genetics, Environmental, Microbial (GEM) Project. GEM is a landmark study that will change the way we view the causes and treatment of IBD. |
