Breaking Taboos, Advancing Science: World IBD Day 2025
Today, on World IBD Day, we join others around the world in breaking taboos and talking openly about life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This year's theme, “IBD Has No Borders: Breaking Taboos, Talking About It,” is a reminder that while IBD affects individuals differently, the challenges: stigma, delayed diagnosis, and limited treatment options, are shared across countries and cultures. Tackling them requires not only scientific progress but also open, inclusive dialogue and ongoing collaboration.
"IBD is more than a medical condition, it’s an everyday challenge that impacts people's quality of life, often in ways society overlooks or finds uncomfortable to talk about," says Antonija Zrno Ćulap, Senior Project Manager at RISE. Through her work on miGut - Health, Antonija is helping shift the conversation: “It’s not just about scientific breakthroughs, but about changing how we talk about and support those living with IBD. We’re creating space for research, dialogue, and action.”
At RISE, together with our sister company EURICE, we are proud of our role in EU-funded projects that are:
- Improving early detection and disease prediction
- Driving the development of personalised treatment strategies
- Connecting patients, clinicians and researchers to reshape the future of IBD care
These projects are not just about science, they are about people. They aim to ease the burden of IBD, accelerate treatments and put patients at the centre of each innovation:
Discover more about IBD Projects RISE/EURICE are part of:
- miGut-Health: Personalised blueprint of intestinal health
miGut-Health is focused on improving gut health and preventing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). By combining advanced omics data with information on diet, lifestyle and the microbiome, the project aims to identify early biomarkers of chronic gut inflammation. It also tests targeted dietary interventions and develops digital self-care tools to empower people with IBD and those at risk to manage their health more effectively.
- 3TR: Right Drug. Right Patient. Right Time
The 3TR project is a major EU-funded initiative uniting over 60 partners to better understand and treat seven chronic inflammatory diseases: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. By identifying shared disease mechanisms and treatment responses, 3TR aims to develop more precise, personalised therapies. The project plays a key role in advancing research that could transform care for people living with IBD and other chronic diseases.
- ImmUniverse: Transforming Diagnosis and Treatment for Ulcerative Colitis and Atopic Dermatitis
ImmUniverse focuses on improving precision medicine for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) like ulcerative colitis and atopic dermatitis. By exploring how immune cells interact with the surrounding tissue, the project aims to identify biomarkers that can predict disease progression and treatment response. Using cutting-edge technologies and non-invasive liquid biopsies, ImmUniverse is advancing diagnostic tools to enable earlier, more personalised care for people with IMIDs.
- INTERCEPT: Pioneering a future without Crohn’s disease
INTERCEPT is conducting Europe's first-ever trial to prevent Crohn’s Disease before symptom onset. By validating biomarkers and developing a blood-based risk score, the project aims to identify high-risk individuals and implement early interventions, potentially transforming disease management and prevention strategies, making diagnosis earlier than ever.
- PerPrev-CID: Personalising Prevention in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
PerPrev-CID PerPrev-CID focuses on early detection and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. By leveraging molecular diagnostics, digital health tools and patient-centred approaches, the project aims to predict disease progression and implement timely interventions, enhancing patient outcomes.
On this World IBD Day, we reaffirm our commitment to science that doesn’t just heal bodies, but also challenges stigma. Together with EURICE and our project partners, we will continue to advance research, amplify patient voices, and break barriers, because as IBD has no borders, neither should the support we give to those who live with it.
