miGut-Health Project Begins Third Year: Reflecting on Progress and Setting Plans for 2025

20 January 2025 – As the miGut-Health project enters year three, partners have made crucial strides in advancing the understanding of gut health and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Over the past two years, the research teams have validated and identified biomarkers in relation to IBD and gut health, created personalised prevention measures, and developed digital tools further. For 2025, ambitious plans have been kickstarted to advance these milestones to improve patient outcomes.
miGut-Health has made significant advances in identifying molecular markers of gut health. The researchers have analysed genes associated with IBD across diverse populations, identifying genetic contributors to the disease. Established biomarkers – such as calprotectin and specific microbiome profiles – have been validated, while novel markers have been uncovered that signify changes before diagnosis of IBD. These include microbiome dysbiosis in relatives of IBD patients, changes in antibody repertoires before diagnosis, and a protein signature that could aid future diagnoses of Crohn’s disease. In addition, the miGut-Health researchers have initiated the development of cutting-edge tools and software to integrate this genetic and clinical data. These research efforts are paving the way for more sophisticated systems-level biomarker research, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the diseases.
Moreover, dietary studies are central to miGut-Health’s research into personalised prevention measures. One of the key studies, which examines the effects of a long-term gluten-free diet (GFD) on IBD patients, is already producing promising early results. These findings suggest that starting a GFD can reduce inflammation, as shown by a decrease in gliadin-reactive T-cells . This study includes patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis-associated IBD , ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. Another great success by the consortium was the identification of cross-reactive cytotoxic T cells in Crohn’s disease patients that respond to different dietary fungi, including yeast. Further research in 2025 aims to show if these observations are correct and subsequently investigate how dietary changes impact inflammation and quality of life over time. Additionally, the team have identified two key dietary compounds for further study: tryptophan and polyphenols . Early experiments with these compounds in intestinal organoid models have shown positive effects on gene activity and inflammatory responses.
Digital tools form a cornerstone of the project’s efforts to empower patients. Tools like MyIBDcoach, which tracks disease activity and lifestyle factors, MyFoodRepo, which uses AI to monitor dietary intake, and wearable devices that measure fatigue are being deployed in dietary studies such as VitaGraid and the above-mentioned GFD study. The data collected is helping miGut-Health researchers build machine learning-based models to identify lifestyle factors that influence IBD progression, offering the promise of more personalised care for people affected by IBD in the future.
Patient engagement and education are also key priorities. The miGut-Health team has found that psychosocial factors, such as stress, strongly influence dietary habits in IBD patients. This finding has already led to the expansion of international surveys conducted within the project and the planning of workshops aimed at sharing evidence-based insights with patients and the broader public. These workshops, to be held during 2025, will be designed to encourage the proactive management of gut health through informed lifestyle choices.
“Looking ahead to the next few months of 2025, miGut-Health will continue to push the boundaries of IBD and gut health research. We are looking forward to expanding the gluten-free diet study to include more participants and longer observation periods, generating deeper insights into how diet influences inflammation and overall health,” says project coordinator Professor Andre Franke (UKSH).
miGut-Health co-coordinator Jurgita Skieceviciene (LSMU) adds: “Also, our research on tryptophan and polyphenols will delve further into their effects at the genetic and cellular levels. Lastly, digital health tools will be refined for greater usability and integration into healthcare systems, while patient engagement activities will grow, with workshops and educational campaigns aimed at promoting awareness of gut health. Overall, we are very excited for continuing our efforts over the next months.”
One such patient engagement activity will be the first miGut-Health symposium “Science talks to the IBD community,” which will be held in Torshavn, Faroe Islands, on 16 June. The symposium is gathering consortium partners, local prominent IBD experts, and members of Faroese IBD organisations. Given the insufficiently explored high incidence of IBD among Faroese citizens, this is a unique opportunity to address this issue among all interested parties, connect with each other and give voice to a significant, but often overlooked Faroese patient community.
In addition, we are continuing the miGut-Health campaign titled “Voices from the IBD Community,” aiming to raise awareness of IBD by giving a voice directly to people living with IBD. To find out more and see how you can contribute, please visit here.
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