A new light-based test may offer a faster and less invasive way to detect and monitor inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic condition that affects the digestive system.
The test was developed by scientists at the University of Edinburgh and is described in a recent study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
IBD is a long-term illness where the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the gut, causing pain, diarrhea, and inflammation. The two most common types are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Right now, diagnosing IBD often requires colonoscopies—procedures where a small camera is inserted into the gut. These procedures are costly, uncomfortable, and not always easy to access.
Stool tests are a simpler and cheaper way to check for signs of inflammation, but they have limitations. Current stool tests measure general inflammation markers like a protein called calprotectin.
A high calprotectin level suggests inflammation, but it doesn’t confirm whether it’s caused by IBD or something else, such as an infection. This means that patients with positive stool tests often still need a colonoscopy to find out what’s going on.
To solve this problem, researchers created a new optical tool called a luminescent reporter. This tool lights up when it detects a specific enzyme linked to gut inflammation called granzyme A (GzmA).
GzmA is made by T cells, a type of immune cell that normally fights infections. But in IBD, these T cells mistakenly attack healthy gut tissue, causing inflammation. The more GzmA activity in the stool, the more active the inflammation.
The researchers tested this new light-based tool on stool samples from 150 people, including both IBD patients and healthy individuals.
The results showed that the tool could accurately measure GzmA levels. Even better, when they combined the GzmA test with the usual calprotectin test, they were able to detect IBD more accurately than using calprotectin alone.
This discovery is an important step toward better, faster diagnosis of IBD. If doctors can more precisely identify gut-specific inflammation from a simple stool test, it could reduce the need for colonoscopies and help patients get treated sooner.
The research team is now working to bring the tool into real-world use. They are forming a new company, IDXSense, through the University of Edinburgh. The company plans to develop and manufacture these non-invasive gut tests and is seeking partners to help move the project forward.
Beyond diagnosis, the new tool could help doctors monitor how well patients respond to treatment. For example, if a treatment reduces GzmA levels in stool, that might show the therapy is working. This could lead to more personalized and timely care for people living with IBD.
Professor Marc Vendrell, the lead researcher, said the tool’s speed and accuracy could also improve scientific understanding of how the immune system behaves in IBD. Lizzie Withington from Edinburgh Innovations added that the work shows great promise for transforming how IBD is diagnosed and treated.
In conclusion, this new light-based test for gut inflammation could be a game-changer in the fight against IBD. It offers the potential for quicker diagnosis, fewer invasive procedures, and better ways to track how patients respond to treatment—all from a simple stool sample.
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