Cure8 regulatory brief
The project aims to enable simultaneous RNA-level profiling of microbes and host cells from human biopsies, which could reveal early microbial and host gene-expression patterns linked to subclinical Crohn’s disease and help develop biomarkers or new diagnostic approaches.
Researchers (microbiome, host–microbe interaction, biomarker discovery), translational scientists, and clinicians focused on Crohn’s disease and early-detection research.
The project focuses on optimizing and validating a tissue-based metatranscriptomic pipeline so bacterial transcripts are preserved and host nucleic acids are greatly reduced, then applying the method to biopsies from people with subclinical pCD and matched controls.
The aims include method optimization in germ-free and animal models, rigorous limits-of-detection testing, and a human biopsy application to find microbial and host genes and pathways associated with early pCD.
The team highlights using both human interpretation and artificial intelligence to analyze joint host–microbe RNA signals, with the stated goal of producing validated molecular signatures that could inform diagnostics or therapeutic research.
This is a funded methods-development project (T-BEAM) and does not present trial results. Any molecular signatures identified will require further validation and peer-reviewed publication before clinical use.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Funding disclosed by the source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - R01DK149061 - $661,126
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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