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NEW STUDY: SUNY Downstate Researcher Identifies Groundbreaking Technology for the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

By Office of Communications & Marketing | Jan 29, 2025

Findings from New Study Published in Gastro Hep Advances Will Improve Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment and Patient Care

BROOKLYN, NY – SUNY Downstate announced groundbreaking research from its Department of Pediatrics, published in Gastro Hep Advances, a prestigious peer-reviewed journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). Led by Thomas Wallach, M.D., Chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Assistant Professor, this study unveils a novel approach to identifying the stages of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in pediatric and young adult patients—offering healthcare providers critical insights into disease progression and paving the way for enhanced patient care.

A combination of genetic susceptibility, microbial interactions, and initial inflammatory triggers shapes the current medical understanding of IBD, making it difficult to monitor. While endoscopy is the most reliable method for confirming true remission, it is significantly more invasive than stool-based testing methods, often used as a less intrusive alternative.

“Identifying the status of IBD has historically been a costly and often invasive process for patients. Our study offers a better option for patients and physicians, allowing for increasingly informed treatment decisions that we expect will improve outcomes,” said Dr. Wallach. “Exploring this method further will allow us to identify additional diseases, increasing the impact of this technology.”

Fecal mtDNA offers substantial potential as a reliable and sensitive biomarker for assessing IBD activity. Its ability to be completed in-house at a higher speed and lower cost than other methods improves accuracy in identifying disease progression at low disease severity states. These findings will improve medical and patient care, give providers an insight into the disease state, and likely drive improved outcomes.

About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system. It is the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.

UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.

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