The Dutch IBD Biobank facilitates clinically relevant, multi-omics research in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD affects approximately 100,000 people in the Netherlands, and its prevalence continues to rise.
The causes of IBD are complex and multifactorial, involving interactions between genetics, environmental factors such as diet, and immune responses to the gut microbiome. By enabling large-scale, well-characterised data collection, the biobank supports research into these underlying mechanisms.
The biobank brings together extensive clinical data, patient-reported questionnaires and a wide range of biomaterials, including blood, faeces and gastrointestinal tissue. This integrated approach enables researchers to study disease development, identify predictors of treatment response and translate findings into more personalised care for individual patients.
The Dutch IBD Biobank is a collaborative effort involving multiple departments within UMCG, including Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Genetics, Pathology and Medical Biology, and Surgery. The biobank also works closely with national partners and research initiatives to strengthen IBD research infrastructure.
