A New Biological Pathway: Major Cause of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Discovered

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute identified a key biological pathway in IBD involving the ETS2 protein, which can be targeted with already available MEK inhibitor drugs to potentially reduce disease symptoms.

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, in collaboration with UCL and Imperial College London, have identified a new biological pathway that plays a major role in driving inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and associated conditions. This pathway can be targeted with currently available drugs.

About 5% of the world’s population, and one in ten people in the UK, are currently affected by an autoimmune disease, such as IBD, the umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases are also becoming more common, with over half a million people living with IBD in the UK as of 2022, nearly double the 300,000 previously estimated.