Inflammatory Bowel Disease: improving disease monitoring with volatile metabolites

Patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases or inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) experience periods of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to abdominal complaints and intestinal damage. There are also periods of disease remission. Close monitoring of intestinal inflammation is crucial because early treatment can alleviate symptoms more rapidly and improve the long-term course of the disease. Currently, this often requires invasive procedures such as colonoscopy, which are expensive and carry certain risks.

The main objective is to identify substances in the exhaled breath and stool of IBD patients, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and gut microbiota, and compare them with colonoscopy findings. Our hypothesis is that the characteristic intestinal inflammation of IBD produces specific VOCs that can be measured in breath and stool samples. These VOCs could serve as markers for better disease monitoring and potentially aid in the diagnosis of IBD. Furthermore, these VOCs may provide insights into the activity of gut microbiota, which plays a significant role in IBD.

Exhaled breath and stool samples will be collected from 250 IBD patients. The aim is to identify VOCs and characteristics of gut microbiota that distinguish IBD patients with mucosal inflammation from those without it. Using a multi-omics approach, complex machine-learning techniques, and creating digital twins (a specific method), the project aims to develop a more patient-friendly and accurate way to measure inflammation in IBD, improve IBD patient care, and make healthcare costs more affordable. The outcomes of the project will contribute to social participation and functioning via early diagnosis. The breath/faecal test, as a non-invasive approach, also fits with the vision of health that is focused on functioning in the living environment and less invasive approaches.