Lay Summary

Proposal No.  IBD-0167
Principal Investigator:  Carl D. Kirkwood, Ph.D.
Applicant Organization:  Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (Parkville, Australia)
Project Title:  Does a viral agent induce Crohn's disease?  A search for viral agent(s) in children with early onset Crohn's disease
Period of Award:  November 1, 2005 – April 30, 2009

Crohn's disease is a major cause of morbidity throughout the developed world.  The disease is associated with chronic inflammation occurring anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Over the past 20 years, an increasing incidence has been found in developed countries, especially in children.  It is thought that an infectious agent could cause the disease in genetically susceptible individuals.  Further studies on the involvement of infectious agents are needed, especially in children affected by Crohn's disease. 

We will obtain clinical specimens from newly diagnosed children with Crohn’s and will use  molecular biology approaches to identify viruses that are unique to Crohn's patients.  Associations between these novel viral agents and actual disease state will be investigated.  The outcomes of these studies could lead to the identification of new causes of Crohn’s disease.