<p>Over the summer 23andMe launched <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ibd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a collaborative study</a> with Pfizer to study the research inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
</p>
<p>
We&#8217;ve been encouraged by the number of people diagnosed with either Crohn&#8217;s disease and ulcerative colitis who have joined the study.</p>
<p>On top of the research we&#8217;re doing, we also want to raise awareness about   these debilitating digestive <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-large wp-image-21972" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/08052014_IBD_Infographic_Rd18-01-1-249x768.jpg" alt="08052014_IBD_Infographic_Rd18-01-1" width="249" height="768" />conditions and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ibd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inflammatory Bowel Disease</a> (IBD) more broadly.</p>
<p>More than 1.4 million Americans suffer from IBD, while in Europe two in every 1,000 people are affected. The incidence and prevalence of IBD, is rising even in Asia where the rates have historically been low.</p>
<p>Not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome, IBD is a very serious and sometimes crippling condition. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, bleeding, and severe weight loss.
</p>
<div style="float: left; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<p><em>In order to participate in the first study within the IBD community, you must meet all six criteria below: </em><br />
<strong>Eligible Individuals</strong><br />
1. You&#8217;ve been diagnosed with Crohn&#8217;s disease or ulcerative colitis by a qualified physician.<br />
2. You&#8217;re willing to submit a saliva sample for DNA testing and complete online surveys related to your condition.<br />
3. You have access to the internet.<br />
4. You are at least 6 years old (minors under 18 require parental consent to enroll).<br />
5. You are not a current 23andMe customer.*<br />
6. You reside in the United States.</p>
<p>*If you are a current 23andMe customer, learn how you can participate here.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-21220" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg" alt="Learn More" width="300" height="99" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More.jpg 744w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
</div>


23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Raising Awareness About IBD

<p>Over the summer 23andMe launched a new research initiative in collaboration with Pfizer to study Inflammatory Bowel Disease.</p>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><strong>Eligible Individuals</strong><br />
1. You have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis by a qualified physician.<br />
2. Your willingness to submit a saliva sample for DNA testing and complete online surveys related to your condition.<br />
3. You have access to the internet.<br />
4. You are at least 6 years old (those under 18 require a parental consent to enroll).<br />
5. You are not a current 23andMe customer.*<br />
6. You reside in the United States.*If you are a current 23andMe customer, learn how you can participate here.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-21220" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg" alt="Learn More" width="300" height="99" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More.jpg 744w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
<p>We’ve been encouraged by the numbers of people with IBD, who’ve already enrolled in the study, which will look more deeply at the role genetics and environment play in the condition.</p>
<p>It’s those individuals who are living with IBD – an umbrella diagnosis that includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – who have already taught us a lot about resilience.</p>
<p>We recently wrote about some of <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/gut-check-a-short-list-of-ibd-blogs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our favorite bloggers</a> on the topic writing about the condition with both flair and humor.</p>
<p>Over at <a href="https://thegreatbowelmovement.org/">The Great Bowel Movement</a>, guest blogger Christy Stone, a health advocate who runs Crohnie Bologna IBD, and also has IBD.</p>


People Powered IBD Research

<p><em><strong>This summer 23andMe launched a new research initiative to study <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-21576 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Photo_Keneth-Hung-09092014-300x266.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="266" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Photo_Keneth-Hung-09092014-300x266.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Photo_Keneth-Hung-09092014-768x681.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Photo_Keneth-Hung-09092014-1180x1046.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Photo_Keneth-Hung-09092014-1024x907.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Photo_Keneth-Hung-09092014-880x780.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />team of scientists to help in this work. Among those is Pfizer’s director of precision medicine, Kenneth Eugene Hung, who is both an MD and a PhD. At Pfizer, Dr. Hung has spent the last two years working as a gastroenterology clinical lead focusing specifically on inflammatory bowel disease. He not only knows a lot about the disease, but impact on patients.In his work Dr. Hung spearheaded novel clinical trial designs for the development of drugs used for IBD patients. He’s looked at biomarkers that could be used to help target drugs for patients with IBD. This approach of finding the right drug for the right patient is the cornerstone of precision medicine. Both 23andMe and Pfizer are hopeful that our IBD study will advance precision medicine in the treatment of IBD. Dr. Hung took a few minutes to answer some questions and share a little bit more about his background and involvement in IBD research.</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>How did you get into IBD research?</strong></p>
<p>IBD is a heartbreaking chronic disease that often manifests at a young age and can result in debilitating long-term complications. As such, caring for these patients presents a great humanistic challenge to the clinical gastroenterologist. The complex interaction between the mucosal immune system and the fecal microbiome in IBD pathophysiology presents a great intellectual challenge to the scientific immunologist. Taken together, maybe we should ask: “Why wouldn’t one get into IBD research?”</p>
<h6><strong>What is your involvement with the 23andMe/Pfizer study?</strong></h6>
<p>As the gastroenterology clinical lead in precision medicine at Pfizer, my role in this collaboration has been to provide integrated clinical and scientific expertise. As a board certified gastroenterologist that has treated mild to severe IBD patients, I have been able to help derive the clinical questions of interest vital for success, but in the context of scientific feasibility. With my scientific background incorporating immunology, mouse models, and genomic/proteomic biomarker discovery, I have been able to help mold the research plan in a targeted manner to answer the critical clinical questions. </p>
<h6><strong>What are you hoping to accomplish with this study?</strong></h6>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><strong>Eligible Individuals</strong><br />
1. You have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis by a qualified physician.<br />
2. Your willingness to submit a saliva sample for DNA testing and complete online surveys related to your condition.<br />
3. You have access to the internet.<br />
4. You are at least 6 years old (those under 18 require a parental consent to enroll).<br />
5. You are not a current 23andMe customer.*<br />
6. You reside in the United States.*If you are a current 23andMe customer, learn how you can participate here.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-21220" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg" alt="Learn More" width="300" height="99" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More.jpg 744w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
<p>In this study, we aim to use genetics as a tool to define subtypes of IBD that behave similarly in the clinic. By focused study of these individual subtypes, we may be able to predict long-term clinical outcomes, thus identifying those individuals that should be targeted for early and/or aggressive clinical treatment. Furthermore, we may be able to identify patient characteristics that could predict response to targeted therapies, thus sparing patients the “trial and error” approach to IBD treatment that is often used. Finally, we would like to substantially further our understanding of the basic pathophysiology of IBD. It is only through this approach that we can make truly great strides in the fight against IBD.</p>
<h6><strong>What does success look like?</strong></h6>
<p>Success can be measured in both the short- and long-term. Immediate success could be in the form of identification of a discrete subtype of IBD that best responds to a particular targeted therapy. However, long-term success could derive from laying the foundation for better understanding of IBD pathophysiology that may ultimately lead to a cure.</p>
<h6><strong>What do you think the future of personalized medicine is (generally and specifically for IBD patients)?</strong></h6>
<p>Personalized medicine is now a reality in oncology, where the identification of a specific genetic mutation can routinely predict clinical response to targeted therapies. Such promise has been elusive in IBD, being a more complex disease that derives from the interplay of multiple genetic, biochemical, and environmental factors. Nonetheless, with the explosion in “omic” technologies, we hope to make great strides in defining smaller subpopulations of IBD that have similar clinical behavior. The collaboration between 23andMe and Pfizer may be a pivotal step towards making personalized medicine in IBD a reality, with the ultimate goal being able to deliver the right drug to the right patient at the right time.</p>
<h6><strong>What accomplishment are you most proud of (professionally or personally)?</strong></h6>
<p>I am most proud of my family, which is always there for me no matter what happens during my day job. My wife, Rebecca, of 19 years is a physician in Boston and has supported me in every phase of my career development. My daughter and son constantly keep us entertained and on our toes. Taken together, I truly feel lucky.</p>
<h6><strong>Hometown?</strong></h6>
<p>I was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up mostly in Washington, D.C.</p>
<h6><strong>What do you enjoy doing outside of your work?</strong></h6>
<p>I enjoy playing basketball and tennis and watching my kids play soccer. Having lived in Boston for the past 13 years, I have no choice but to be an avid Boston sports fan. Sorry, New Yorkers. GO SOX!!!</p>

Pfizer’s Dr. Kenneth Eugene Hung

<p>It might not be genetic but there appears to be a clear association between having inflammatory bowel disease and having a damn good sense of humor.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IBD-IMage-.jpg" alt="IBD IMage" class="alignright size-full wp-image-21214" width="240" height="160"></p>
<p>IBD is a serious digestive disorder and is no laughing matter. The umbrella diagnosis includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and affects an estimated 1.4 million people in the United States alone. There are very few treatments for the condition, and the sometimes very painful symptoms can leave those with IBD feeling embarrassed, isolated and alone.</p>
<p>But looking at some great blogs by people with the condition, it’s easy to see that having a good sense of humor certainly helps get you through the hard times. How can you not at least crack a smile at titles like “<a href="http://crohns-leavingtheseatdown.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leaving the Seat Down</a>”, or “Blood, Poop &amp; Tears?” By writing about the condition and its symptoms with sometimes blunt humor, these bloggers are going a long way toward removing any stigma around the disease.</p>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><strong>Eligible Individuals</strong><br />
1. You have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis by a qualified physician.<br />
2. Your willingness to submit a saliva sample for DNA testing and complete online surveys related to your condition.<br />
3. You have access to the internet.<br />
4. You are at least 6 years old (those under 18 require a parental consent to enroll).<br />
5. You are not a current 23andMe customer.*<br />
6. You reside in the United States.*If you are a current 23andMe customer, learn how you can participate here.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-21220" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg" alt="Learn More" width="300" height="99" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More.jpg 744w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
<h6>IBD Study</h6>
<p>23andMe recently launched <a href="https://23andme.com/IBD/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a new study of IBD</a> in collaboration with Pfizer Inc. to learn more about what role genetics and environment play in the development of IBD as well as how the condition progresses.</p>
<p>Reading through blogs about individuals who struggle day to day, can also inform and motivate what we do.</p>
<h6>Recommended Reading</h6>
<p>This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are some of the IBD blogs that made us want to read more.</p>
<p>&#8211; <a href="http://www.inflamed-and-untamed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inflamed and Untamed</a> – Blogging since 2008, Sara Ringer mixes girl power, fashion and her own poignant personal struggles – including having her large intestine removed – all while advocating for others with IBD.</p>
<p>&#8211; Blood, Poop &amp; Tears – Like a lot of good IBD bloggers, Jackie is both blunt and funny. In her 20s, she’s been blogging since 2010 about her own struggles with ulcerative colitis.</p>
<p>&#8211; <a href="http://crohns-leavingtheseatdown.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leaving the Seat Down</a> – Living with Crohn’s since 1988, Vern is an IBD veteran. A former competitive figure skater and soccer player living in British Columbia, Vern also paints and is known for his Crohnie adages:<br />
<em>“If you hold the world record for the amount of times going to the bathroom in an hour; you might be a Crohnie.”</em></p>
<p>&#8211; <a href="http://intenseintestines.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Intense Intestines Blog</a> – Brian Greenberg is both a blogger and the founder of the Intense Intestines Foundation. He has also been dealing with his own Crohn&#8217;s diagnosis since he was just a kid.</p>
<p>&#8211; <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">J-pouch Life</a> – With a more somber but measured tone, this blog collects stories from people who have gone through surgery or are considering going through surgery to remove their colon. This site has become a great resource for people struggling with determining their best option. It’s a serious decision and the site neither makes light of it nor overly dramatizes it.</p>
<p>&#8211; <a href="http://www.brightsideofcrohns.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Bright Side of Crohn&#8217;s</a> – You’ve got to give it up to any blogger referencing, knowingly or not, Eric Idle’s comedy song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” But Canadian blogger “Brightside,” is a working mom who writes to stay positive.</p>
<p>&#8211; The Great Bowel Movement – The tagline for this blog is “making Crohn’s and Colitis cool since 2010.” The posts on this blog run the gambit from fitness, nutrition to the latest in drug treatments and other interventions.</p>

Gut Check – A Short List of IBD Blogs

<p>For people battling <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-21215 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IBD-Image-325x768.jpg" alt="IBD Image" width="325" height="768" /> – it’s easy to feel isolated and alone.
</p>
<p>
There currently are very few medicines to treat the condition, which affects an estimated 1.4 million people in the United States.  </p>
<p>Those with IBD often feel embarrassed by their symptoms, enduring on their own severe abdominal pain, cramping, inflammation, and diarrhea that often accompany the condition.</p>
<p>23andMe wants to change that with its <a href="https://23andme.com/IBD/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new study of IBD</a>.</p>
<p>23andMe is collaborating with Pfizer Inc. to learn more about what role genetics and environment play in the development of IBD as well as how the condition progresses. We hope this research will give scientists new insight into the disease.</p>
<p>“We are excited to team up with Pfizer to take an innovative, consumer-centered approach to understanding the fundamentals of inflammatory bowel disease and the variability of treatment response,” said 23andMe CEO and Co-Founder, Anne Wojcicki.<br />
</p>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;"><strong>Eligible Individuals</strong></div>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
1. You have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis by a qualified physician.</div>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
2. Your willingness to submit a saliva sample for DNA testing and complete online surveys related to your condition.
</div>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">3. You have access to the internet.</div>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
4. You are at least 6 years old (those under 18 require a parental consent to enroll).</div>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
5. You are not a current 23andMe customer.*</div>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
6. You reside in the United States.</div>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">*If you are a current 23andMe customer, learn how you can participate here.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-21220" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg" alt="Learn More" width="300" height="99" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More-300x99.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Learn-More.jpg 744w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
<p>
23andMe is using the unique research model that it developed to study other diseases. Our research model is different in that it allows people to participate from home and to do so anonymously. Traditional research often involves travel to clinics or research facilities, blood tests, and even drug trials. Because individuals can participate from home using internet access, 23andMe’s research offers people who might not be able to participate otherwise a simple and non-intrusive way to get involved in important research.</p>
<p>Our goal is to enlist 10,000 people in this effort. To those who participate we will give updates not just on the progress of our recruitment efforts but on the status of the research as well. 23andMe can’t promise that this work will lead to a cure or to new treatments but our researchers do pledge to keep participants informed of our work.
</p>
<p>
You can learn more about this research or how to participate <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ibd/">here</a>.  </p>
<p>Participants do not just help drive important research — they can also explore their own genetic information using 23andMe’s unique tools.</p>

IBD — Page 2

Raising Awareness About IBD

People Powered IBD Research

Pfizer’s Dr. Kenneth Eugene Hung

Gut Check – A Short List of IBD Blogs

New Study To Look At The Genetics Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Stay in the know.