Lay Summary

Proposal No. IBD-0298R
Principal Investigator:  Michael A. Kamm, MBBS, M.D.
Applicant Organization:  Australasian Gastro Intestinal Research Foundation, Ltd. (Melbourne, Australia) 
Project Title:  The gut microbiota in the East and West -- in the healthy population, inflammatory bowel disease patients, and relatives.  The ENIGMA (eastern inflammatory bowel disease gut microbiota) study
Period of Award:  July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2012

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Western countries, such as Australia, is common, whereas in Asia it is uncommon, but rapidly increasing. The cause of IBD relates to the way our immune system responds to the bacteria in our gut. Our genetic makeup also plays a role. The children of immigrants, from areas where IBD is rare to areas where it is common, have a higher chance of developing IBD than their parents, suggesting that exposure to factors in the environment during childhood is a key factor in the development of IBD.

Patients with IBD in the West have altered bacteria in their gut. Little is known about these bacteria in Asia, and in particular whether it is changes to Western patterns, especially after migration.

We aim to study the gut bacteria within, and between, China and Australia (countries in which IBD is rare and common), in healthy people and patients with IBD. Characterizing the gut bacteria in low, but increasing, and high incidence countries and ethnic populations, and the effect of migration of ethnic groups on the development of disease, may allow for the identification of specific factors that contribute to the development of IBD in the microbiota.

This research aims to define the contribution of gut bacteria in a population where the disease is becoming more common. To our knowledge, this will be the first study across different Eastern and Western regions, and across different cultures, to study gut bacteria in this way. Studying gut bacteria, genetic and environmental factors in populations with changing disease occurrence offers the greatest hope of identifying potentially important causative factors in IBD.