Cure8 research brief
Noninvasive fecal tests can help detect intestinal inflammation without repeated endoscopy and support treat-to-target care. Better biomarkers could mean earlier treatment changes and less invasive monitoring for people with Crohn’s disease.
Patients with Crohn’s disease undergoing monitoring; IBD clinicians and nurses; researchers and lab developers working on fecal biomarkers.
This narrative review looks at fecal biomarkers used to monitor Crohn’s disease, focusing on established tests like fecal calprotectin and several emerging markers such as lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, lipocalin-2, S100A12, fecal microRNAs, and lipidomic signatures.
The authors summarize each marker’s biological relevance, diagnostic/prognostic performance, and limitations like variability in cut-offs, lower sensitivity for isolated ileal disease, and lack of assay standardization.
The review emphasizes that fecal calprotectin remains the most validated noninvasive marker but has known limitations; newer markers may add complementary information but generally need further validation before routine use.
The authors suggest multimarker strategies and integration with blood tests, imaging, and endoscopy, and note potential future roles for multi-omics to enable more individualized monitoring.
Practical takeaway: fecal biomarkers are promising tools to reduce reliance on repeat endoscopy and support treat-to-target care, but most emerging tests are not yet standardized or ready for routine clinical decision-making.
This source is a narrative review (abstract provided). It summarizes existing evidence and highlights research needs—many emerging fecal markers require further validation and standardized assays before routine clinical use.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
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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