NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) Genetic Research Centers (GRCs) (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) was established in July 2002 for the purpose of identifying genetic variation predisposing to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Since its establishment and in collaboration with the International IBD Genetics Consortium, the NIDDK IBDGC has identified over 250 IBD susceptibility loci. However, for the great majority of these loci, the specific causal variants and effector genes have not yet been identified, and the biological mechanisms through which these variants influence IBD pathophysiology remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this FOA is to renew the IBDGC with a continued mission to characterize the genetic architecture of IBD and its sub-phenotypes, particularly in populations currently under-represented in IBD genomic studies, and to elucidate the biological mechanisms by which genetic variants influence IBD pathophysiology, phenotypes and outcomes, with the long-term goal of improving disease course prediction and treatment. The Genetic Research Centers (GRCs) of the IBDGC will serve as sites for enrollment of IBD patients, relatives and healthy controls, for laboratory-based studies on biological samples taken from these subjects, and for mechanistic studies of the variants identified and of the genes, proteins and pathways they impact. The Program Directors / Principal Investigators of the GRCs will serve as voting members of the Steering Committee of the IBDGC, which will be responsible for all operational decisions, which will be binding upon all members of the IBDGC.