Letter from the CCFA President

Dear Colleague,

CCFA, the largest organization of its kind dedicated to finding a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, views the Advances in IBD meeting as a shining example of the partnership we have forged with the medical community over more than four decades. We were delighted to see this assembly grow by 36% in 2008 to over one thousand participants with significant increases by nursing and allied health professionals. We believe that the breadth of the meeting makes it a truly unique opportunity for clinicians to share their patient experience and researchers to present the laboratory findings that can open new paths to discovering cures. The dialogue over two and half days at the Advances meeting can certainly help lead the way to finding a cure for IBD.

CCFA’s goals have become more aggressive in recent years as science has enabled us to probe deeper into the underlying genetic, immunological and microbiological features of IBD. Our advocacy programs have resulted in increasing dollars for the NIDDK and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Consortium. With over thirty susceptibility genes now identified for Crohn’s and colitis, it is clear that our support for groundbreaking research efforts has had inspiring results. We have also funded our most ambitious research program in our history, the CCFA Gut Microbiome Initiative, based at Washington University Genome Center. The program promises to make new tools available to researchers around the globe who want to pursue the role of gut microbiota in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

CCFA’s dedication to pediatric IBD has been advanced this year through the efforts of the Pediatric Network, a consortium of dozens of medical centers around the country, who are joining forces to identify early risk factors for aggressive IBD in young patients. The goal is to get the right treatment for each new patient from day one, a goal that we all share.

We encourage each and every one of you who have joined the Advances meeting before to register for the 2009 program. We also hope you will tell professional colleagues about your positive experience with this conference so they can join us in making a difference in the future of so many families.

With best regards,
Richard J. Geswell
President, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America

About the CCFA

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s mission is to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. With more than $136 million invested in research for a cure and improved treatments, CCFA has played a role in every major breakthrough in the IBD field. To learn more about how our funding has lead to discoveries of lifesaving therapies and genetic advances, visit our website at www.ccfa.org.