Public Deliverables

Our Public Deliverable page offers you transparent access to the documentation prepared by each work package (WP). For those unfamiliar with a work package, it is a group of related tasks that help ensure the project reaches its aims.

Within these documents, you’ll find detailed insights, methodologies, and conclusions, each accompanied by easy-to-navigate sections. Just like the tabs on our Scientific Publications page, these sections streamline your search, ensuring that you find the information you need with just a click.

WP1 – Define and characterise a fibrosis-associated biomarker signature in IBD

WP2 – Pharmacologic evaluation of C3, Tyk2 and NLRP3 inhibitors in human IBD cells, tissues and experimental colitis mouse model

WP3 – Development of clinical diagnostic and prognostic pathway to monitor intestinal fibrosis in patients with Crohn’s disease using cross-sectional imaging techniques

D3.5 – MSOT for prognosis and diagnosis of intestinal fibrosis

Lead contributor: Markus Neurath (UKER)

Other contributors: Maximilian Waldner (UKER), Bram Verstockt (KU Leuven) & Jordi Rimola (HCB)

Assessing the degree of inflammation and fibrosis in intestinal strictures is a critical challenge for the therapeutic management of Crohn’s disease (CD) patients.

Depending on the relative contribution of acute inflammation or tissue fibrosis, strictures can either be improved by medical therapy or
necessitate endoscopic or surgical interventions.To improve the management of strictures in CD, new and optimally non-invasive imaging methods are urgently required.

Multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) is a new and promising imaging technique that can provide molecular information about tissues such as the haemoglobin content without any labelling. The technique is based on the photoacoustic effect and can be performed transcutaneous, similar to conventional ultrasound.

In this deliverable, we used a new version of a MSOT device that enables the quantification of tissue collagen as a marker of fibrosis to assess the terminal ileum in CD patients. We performed a pilot study in 40 CD patients to validate our previous findings on the quantification of intestinal haemoglobin levels as a surrogate marker of intestinal inflammation in CD patients with the new device.

Unfortunately, the new device, which incorporated several hardware adjustments in comparison to a prototype device that was previously used, did not allow the assessment of intestinal inflammation or differentiation from fibrosis. These limitations were based on the technical adjustments that had been made by the manufacturer. Due to insolvency of the manufacturer in 2025, no further improvements were possible.

In summary, the MSOT imaging modality cannot be used as a non-invasive imaging technique to assess inflammation and fibrosis in strictures of CD patients in its current technological state.

Download the deliverable!

WP4 – First-in-human randomised controlled proof-of-concept trial with C3, Tyk2 and NLRP3 in patients with fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease

WP5 – Dissemination, outreach & sustainability

D5.2 – Plan for the dissemination and exploitation including communication activities

Lead contributor: Anthony Armenta (Teamit Research)

Other contributors: Gisela Pairó (Teamit Research), Séverine Vermeire & Gianluca Matteoli (KU Leuven)

The FIBROTARGET project has begun its 5-year undertaking to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of intestinal fibrosis and fibrostenosis via three main pathways:

Discovering and validating biomarkers for early detection of fibrosis and a reduced likelihood of irreversible tissue damage
Developing and testing cutting-edge techniques for better diagnosis/prognosis of possible intestinal fibrosis
Implementing a first-in-human, proof-of-concept trial of immunotherapeutic drugs for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

With these ambitious objectives in mind, sound communications, dissemination and exploitation strategies have been conceived since the inception of the project. These will ensure that the project is successful and achieves the expected impacts. The present document outlines the approach the project will follow to reach out to key audiences, engage stakeholders, disseminate knowledge and results and pave the way for endorsement, advocacy and uptake of FIBROTARGET’s outputs. The harmonised approach set forth in this report relies on outreach activities with all stakeholders, especially patients and researchers across different channels.

The information contained in this document will be updated annually through an iterative process and, in the case of communications and dissemination, captured in yearly tactical plans.