Bay Biosciences provides high-quality biopsy tissue samples, formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks, with matched fresh frozen sera (serum), plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluids, from patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

Moreover, the serum (sera) plasma and PBMC specimens are processed by using customized collection and processing protocols from Chrohn’s disease patients.

Furthermore, bio-samples are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, diagnostics, discovery, and drug development.

Crohn’s Disease Overview

Crohn’s disease is a chronic, or long-term, disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. Moreover, it can be painful, debilitating, and sometimes life-threatening.

Specifically, it primarily causes ulcerations (breaks in the mucosal lining) of the small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the anus.

In addition, Crohn’s disease is also called granulomatous enteritis or colitis, regional enteritis, ileitis, or terminal ileitis. Furthermore, it is an autoimmune-mediated inflammatory condition. Notably, it can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from the mouth to the anus.

Although the disease primarily involves the intestinal system, it also has a variety of other manifestations and can affect the skin, joints, bones, eyes, kidney, and liver. Consequently, symptoms of Crohn’s disease can include intestinal ulcers, discomfort, and pain. Although it typically starts in childhood or early adulthood, it can develop at any age.

Signs and Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Symptoms of Crohn’s disease vary, depending on which part of the gut the condition affects. These usually include the following:

  • First, pain: The level of pain varies from patient-to-patient and depends on where the inflammation is in the gut. Usually patients tend to experience pain in the lower right side of the abdomen.
  • Second, ulcers in the gut: These are raw areas that may bleed. If this happens, a person may find blood in the stools.
  • In addition, mouth ulcers: These are a common symptom.
  • Finally diarrhea: This can range from mild to severe, and there may be mucus, blood, or pus. A person may also feel the urge to have a bowel movement but find that nothing comes out.

Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease in Female Patients

About half of female patients who develop Chron’s disease do so before the age of 35. It can have some specific symptoms in females, such as the following:

  • Firstly, discomfort about sex, as Crohn’s disease can affect the patient’s libido and body image, as well as causing pain and other types of discomfort
  • Secondly, irregular menstruation, due to effects on hormone function
  • Moreover, pain during sex, if symptoms affect areas near the anus or vagina
  • Finally, iron deficiency, as Crohn’s disease affects the absorption of nutrients and can lead to intestinal bleeding

Crohn’s Affects on Fertility

Chron’s disease does not appear to affect fertility, but research suggests that it is harder to conceive when the disease is active and after surgery.

Having an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease, does not keep a person from becoming pregnant. However, someone with this type of disease is more likely to:

  • Have a preterm delivery
  • Need a cesarean delivery
  • Give birth to an infant with a low birth weight

Symptoms for Each Type of Crohn’s Disease

The symptoms of Crohn’s disease are dependent on the location, the extent, and the severity of the inflammation. The different subtypes of Crohn’s disease and their symptoms are:

First, Crohn’s Colitis

  • Crohn’s colitis is inflammation that is confined to the colon. Abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea are the common symptoms. Anal fistulae and perirectal abscesses also can occur. 

Second, Crohn’s Enteritis

  • Crohn’s enteritis refers to inflammation confined to the small intestine (the second part, called the jejunum or the third part, called the ileum). Involvement of the ileum alone is referred to as Crohn’s ileitis. Abdominal pain and diarrhea are the common symptoms. Obstruction of the small intestine also can occur.

Moreover, Crohn’s Terminal Ileitis

  • Crohn’s terminal ileitis is inflammation that affects only the very end of the small intestine (terminal ileum), the part of the small intestine closest to the colon. Abdominal pain and diarrhea are the common symptoms. Small intestinal obstruction also can occur.

In addition, Crohn’s Enterocolitis and Ileocolitis

  • Crohn’s enterocolitis and ileocolitis are terms to describe inflammation that involve both the small intestine and the colon. Bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain are the common symptoms. Small intestinal obstruction also can occur.

Finally, Crohn’s Terminal Ileitis and Ileocolitis

  • Crohn’s terminal ileitis and ileocolitis are the most common types of Crohn’s disease. (Ulcerative colitis frequently involves only the rectum or rectum and sigmoid colon at the distal end of the colon. These are called ulcerative proctitis and procto-sigmoiditis, respectively.)

Other Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Up to one-third of patients with Crohn’s disease may have one or more of these conditions, symptoms, and signs that involve the anal area affected.

  • Swelling of the tissue of the anal sphincter, the muscle at the end of the colon that controls defecation.
  • Development of ulcers and fissures (long ulcers) within the anal sphincter. These ulcers and fissures can cause bleeding and pain with defecation.
  • Development of anal fistulae (abnormal tunnels) between the anus or rectum and the skin surrounding the anus). Mucous and pus may drain from the openings of the fistulae on the skin.
  • Development of perirectal abscesses (collections of pus in the anal and rectal area). Peri-rectal abscesses can cause fever, pain and tenderness around the anus.

Causes of Crohn’s Disease

It is unknown what causes Crohn’s disease. Scientists suggest that it may stem from an abnormal reaction of the immune system. However, they do not know whether this reaction causes the disease or results from it.

Some scientists suspect that infection by certain bacteria, such as strains of mycobacterium, may be the cause of Crohn’s disease. 

Diet may affect the symptoms of Crohn’s disease; however, it is unlikely that diet is responsible for causing the disease. Abdominal pain and  diarrhea are the common symptoms. Obstruction of the small intestine also can occur. Crohn’s disease is not contagious.

Factors that may increase the risk of inflammation include the following:

  • A patient’s immune system
  • Environmental factors
  • Genetic factors

A bacterium or virus may also play a role. For example, research suggests that there is a link between the bacterium Escherichia coli and Crohn’s disease.

Immune System

  • Activation of the immune system in the intestines appears to be important in inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD). In individuals with IBD, the immune system is abnormally and chronically activated in the absence of any known invader. This results in chronic inflammation and ulceration.

Genetics

  • The susceptibility to abnormal activation of the immune system is genetically inherited. Thus, first degree relatives (brothers, sisters, children, and parents) of people with IBD are more likely to develop these diseases.

Recently a gene called NOD2 has been identified as being associated with Crohn’s disease. This gene is important in determining how the body responds to some bacterial products.

Patients with mutations in this gene are more susceptible to developing Crohn’s disease.

Other genes are still being discovered and studied which are important in understanding the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease. This includes autophagy related 16-like 1 gene (ATG 16L1) and IRGM, which both contribute to macrophage defects and have been identified with the Genome-Wide Association study.

Bacteria

  • There also have been studies which show that in the intestines of individuals with Crohn’s disease, there are higher levels of a certain type of bacterium, E. Coli, which might play a role in the disease.

Diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease

There is no specific diagnostic test for Crohn’s disease. A doctor will ask a person about their symptoms. A physical examination may reveal a lump in the abdomen resulting from when loops of inflamed bowels became stuck together.

The following diagnostic tests are performed to diagnose Crohn’s Disease:

  • Blood tests
  • Biopsy
  • Colonoscopy, which involves using a flexible, tube-like tool, a colonoscope, to investigate the colon
  • Endoscopy, which involves inserting a long, thin, flexible tool called an endoscope down through the esophagus and into the stomach to investigate the upper part of the gut
  • CT scan or barium enema X-ray, which help reveal changes in the bowel
  • sigmoidoscopy, which involves using a short, flexible, tube-like tool, a sigmoidoscopy, to investigate the lower bowel
  • Stool tests

Treatment of Crohn’s Disease

Treatment for Crohn’s disease may involve medication, surgery, and nutritional supplements. The aim is to control inflammation, resolve nutritional problems, relieve symptoms, and reduce the occurrence of flares.  However, there is no medication that can cure Crohn’s disease .

The course of treatment will depend on:

  • Where the inflammation occurs
  • The severity of the issue
  • Any complications
  • A patient’s response to previous treatments

Medication

There are many medications to manage the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, including the following:

  • Aminosalicylates: These are anti-inflammatory drugs and include balsalazide (Colazal) and mesalamine (Lialda). A doctor may prescribe these for a person with a new diagnosis and mild symptoms.
  • Steroids: These may include oral steroids, such as prednisone  (Rayos) and budesonide (Entocort), or intravenous steroids, such as methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol). They are for short-term use only, as they can have severe adverse effects.
  • Antibiotics: These can be useful during Crohn’s flare-ups if a person has an abscess or fistula.
  • Antidiarrheal drugs and fluid replacements: When the inflammation subsides, diarrhea usually becomes less severe. However, the patient may still need something to treat diarrhea and abdominal pain. It is important to have the choice of treatment guided by a doctor, because some antidiarrheal drugs can mask an infection that needs treating.

Biologics

These are a type of drug that scientists have developed from living organisms. Biologics reduce the body’s immune response by targeting proteins that lead to inflammation. They appear to help patients with Chron’s disease.

Below are some examples:

  • Anti-tumor necrosis factor agents, such as infliximab (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira), and certolizumab pegol (Cimzia)
  • Integrin receptor antagonists, such as vedolizumab (Entyvio)
  •  Interleukin-23 therapy, ( anti-interleukin-12) which may include ustekinumab (Stelara)
  • anti-Janus kinase 1, such as tofacitinib (Xeljanz)

Examples of biologics for Crohn’s disease include the following:

  • infliximab (Remicade)
  • adalimumab (Humira)
  • certolizumab pegol (Cimzia)

Biologic treatments can have side effects, including vomiting, nausea, and weakened resistance to infection.

Some studies suggest that using biologics can reduce the likelihood of needing abdominal surgery within 10 years to 30%. Before the introduction of biologics, researchers put this figure at 40–55%.

Biologics also appear to reduce the risk of adverse effects of corticosteroids.

There are different types of biologic drugs, and each person reacts to these differently. A doctor will recommend a suitable option and suggest alternatives or combinations of drugs if the first choice proves ineffective.

    Surgery for Crohn’s Disease

    There is no surgical cure for Crohn’s disease. Even when all of the diseased parts of the intestines are removed, inflammation frequently recurs in previously healthy intestines months to years after the surgery.

    Surgery in Crohn’s disease is used primarily for:

    1. Removal of a diseased segment of the small intestine that is causing obstruction.
    2.  Drainage of pus from abdominal and perirectal abscesses.
    3. Treatment of severe anal fistulae that do not respond to drugs.
    4. Resection of internal fistulae (such as a fistula between the colon and bladder) that are causing infections.

    Prognosis of Crohn’s disease

    • There is no cure for Crohn’s disease, only treatments for pain and other symptoms.
    • Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease involving predominantly the small intestine and colon. The symptoms and the activity of the disease can come and go. Even though many effective medications are available to control the activity of the disease, there is as yet no cure for Crohn’s disease.
    • Surgery can significantly improve the quality of life in selected individuals, but recurrence of the disease after surgery is common.
    • Crohn’s disease can have complications, both within and outside of the intestine.
    • Newer treatments are actively being evaluated.
    • A better understanding of the role of genetics and environmental factors in the cause of Crohn’s disease may lead to improved treatments and prevention of the disease.

    Biospecimens

    biospecimens

    Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

    Human biospecimens are available including cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

    Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors for controls, available in all formats and types.

    In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

    Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

    In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

    Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

    Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

    For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

    Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

    Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

    Types of Biospecimens

    Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

    Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

    In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

    Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.