IFCCA – International Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations

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IFCCA – International Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations International Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations

The International Federation of Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis Associations is an umbrella organisation representing 51 national patients’ associations. IFCCA aims to work to improve life for people with IBD and give them a louder voice and higher visibility across Europe and beyond.

🌍👥 𝗜𝗙𝗖𝗖𝗔 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗮! On 18 October, coinciding with UEG Week, members of the 𝗜𝗙𝗖𝗖𝗔 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 came ...
26/10/2026

🌍👥 𝗜𝗙𝗖𝗖𝗔 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗮!

On 18 October, coinciding with UEG Week, members of the 𝗜𝗙𝗖𝗖𝗔 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 came together in Barcelona for a day of collaboration, ideas and action.

The meeting brought together young people from across the IBD community to 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽, 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗙𝗖𝗖𝗔 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽’𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻.

💬 Vasiliki Rafaela Vakouftsi, Youth Coordinator at IFCCA, highlighted that the day included many insightful discussions and expressed her excitement about the year ahead for the IFCCA Youth Group and the ideas that will come from their work together.

The day also included a 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽, an ice-breaking activity and plenty of opportunities to connect, exchange ideas and build new collaborations. 🤝

We’re incredibly proud of our Youth Group and excited to see the ideas and initiatives that will come from this meeting.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗕𝗗 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 💜

Fixing the blind spot in   trials:   and EU Research push for joint pain assessment.
25/10/2026

Fixing the blind spot in trials: and EU Research push for joint pain assessment.

New research has highlighted a gap in the way treatments for Crohn's and colitis are studied, with researchers questioning whether we're measuring enough beyond the bowel.

Joint problems are among the most common complications linked to IBD, yet they're still not consistently assessed in clinical trials.

Formal criteria for spondyloarthritis were used in only 46% of studies, while 26% of the studies reviewed didn't include a standardised physical examination.

It means we can have good evidence that a treatment works for inflammation in the bowel, but far less consistent evidence about what that same treatment does for IBD related joint problems.

Researchers now want joint problems measured properly and consistently in future trials, bringing gastroenterology and rheumatology closer together.

Personally, joint pain is something I deal with too, and there are times when I can struggle just to sit down.

How many of you are dealing with joint problems, and where do you feel it the most? We'd love to hear your experiences in the comments.

Fat wrapping the intestines? Discover how 'creeping fat' drives intestinal fibrosis in  's disease and why understanding...
24/10/2026

Fat wrapping the intestines?
Discover how 'creeping fat' drives intestinal fibrosis in 's disease and why understanding it is key to EU research projects like .

You might think of fat tissue as insulation or a way for your body to store extra energy. But did you know you also have a layer of fat supporting your int

💬 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗕𝗗, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀.” When Franck Tabouring was diagnosed with Ulcerative ...
23/10/2026

💬 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗕𝗗, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀.”

When Franck Tabouring was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, his life changed dramatically.

More than a decade later, he is using his experience to break the silence around IBD. Through his memoir 𝙈𝙮 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙩 and his podcast 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙨 𝙐𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙, Franck encourages open conversations about the realities of living with a chronic illness.

His message is simple: 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗕𝗗, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁.

📖 Read Franck's personal story in the latest IFCCA Magazine: https://buff.ly/pStOl0T

🌍 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗕𝗗 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 Our World IBD Day 2026 activities in Singapore are featured...
22/10/2026

🌍 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗕𝗗 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲

Our World IBD Day 2026 activities in Singapore are featured in the latest publication by the - Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation.

✍️ In the article, Isabella Haaf, IFCCA's Global Engagement and Partnerships Lead, reflects on the discussions held in Singapore, where patient organisations, healthcare professionals and international partners came together to address inequalities in access to IBD care.

🤝 Thank you to ASIF for sharing our work and helping bring these important conversations to a wider patient community!

👉 Read the article: https://buff.ly/0SAlQt4

Meet ReumaZorg, the national patient organisation in the Netherlands.

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗕𝗗 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹? Join our ...
22/10/2026

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗕𝗗 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹?

Join our next IFCCA Talk: “𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗕𝗗?”

Our speakers and panellists will discuss what symptoms and tests can tell us—and how to make sure patients’ daily challenges and priorities are heard.

Speakers/Panelists:
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘇𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗚𝗲𝗰𝘀𝗲 – Amsterdam University Medical Center, Netherlands
• 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗲 – N-ECCO Chair
• 𝗩𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗶 𝗩𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘂𝗳𝘁𝘀𝗶 – IFCCA Youth Group Coordinator
• 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗮ñ𝗮 – IFCCA Innovation and Patient Engagement Coordinator

Moderator: 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗶, IFCCA Deputy Director

📅 𝟭𝟬 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
🕔 𝟭𝟳:𝟬𝟬-𝟭𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗘𝗧
💻 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿

Bring your questions for the audience Q&A!

👉 Register now: https://buff.ly/mYR9tgz

From Stanford’s organoid models to EU’s GENEGUT: Driving the next generation of non-immunosuppressive  ’s treatments. 🧬🔬
21/10/2026

From Stanford’s organoid models to EU’s GENEGUT: Driving the next generation of non-immunosuppressive ’s treatments. 🧬🔬

Could targeting mitochondrial damage lead to new treatments for Crohn’s disease?

With support from Propel a Cure, in partnership with the Mendez Family Foundation, researchers at Stanford University’s Weinberg and Haileselassie Labs have launched a new project investigating how mitochondrial damage in intestinal cells may contribute to Crohn’s disease.

The long-term goal is to develop and test a potential non-immunosuppressive treatment that protects intestinal cells by preventing mitochondrial damage and the release of extracellular mitochondria (ExMito).

To investigate this approach, the team is growing patient-derived intestinal organoids—miniature models of the bowel created from cells collected during endoscopic biopsies. These “disease in a dish” models will allow researchers to study mitochondrial function in people with Crohn’s disease and compare it with that of healthy individuals.

Next, the team will investigate how these cells respond to different types of stress, including exposure to immune cells and substances produced by gut microbes.

This research is in its early stages, but understanding the underlying mechanisms of Crohn’s disease could help pave the way for new treatment strategies.

We’re proud to support the scientists pursuing foundational research that could advance better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

How the 2025 Nobel Prize-winning discovery of immune 'brakes' (Tregs) impacts   research. 🧬🏆​Understanding how the gut c...
20/10/2026

How the 2025 Nobel Prize-winning discovery of immune 'brakes' (Tregs) impacts research. 🧬🏆

​Understanding how the gut controls immune tolerance is essential for EU projects like and , where EFCCA helps drive therapies toward true root-cause balance. 👇"

🧬🏆 BIG NEWS!! THREE SCIENTISTS WON NOBEL PRIZE FOR DISCOVERING HOW TO STOP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM FROM ATTACKING ITSELF

In a breakthrough that reshaped modern immunology, Shimon Sakaguchi, along with Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell, were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their pioneering discovery of regulatory T cells — the immune system’s natural “brakes.”

Their work explained something fundamental:

Why most immune systems don’t destroy the body they’re designed to protect.

⸻

🧬 What They Discovered

The immune system is built to attack threats — viruses, bacteria, abnormal cells.

But without control, that same force could attack:

• Organs
• Joints
• Skin
• Pancreatic cells
• Transplanted tissue

Sakaguchi and colleagues identified a specialized group of immune cells called Regulatory T cells (Tregs).

These cells suppress overactive immune responses and maintain what scientists call peripheral immune tolerance — the body’s ability to distinguish self from non-self.

Without these regulatory cells, autoimmune diseases would be constant.

⸻

💥 Why This Is So Important

Autoimmune conditions affect millions worldwide, including:

• Lupus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Type 1 diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis
• Inflammatory bowel disease

The discovery of Tregs fundamentally changed how we understand immune balance.

Instead of simply suppressing the immune system broadly, medicine could now aim to fine-tune it.

⸻

🧪 Where It’s Going

This research has already led to:

• Clinical trials targeting Treg expansion
• New strategies for transplant tolerance
• Experimental therapies aimed at restoring immune balance rather than shutting it down completely

In some conditions, scientists are exploring boosting Treg function.
In others — such as cancer — they study how suppressing Tregs might enhance anti-tumor immunity.

It’s precision immunology.

⸻

🧠 Reflection

The immune system isn’t just a weapon.

It’s a negotiation.

Protection without destruction.

Defense without self-harm.

The Nobel Committee recognized this discovery not just as a lab achievement — but as a conceptual shift in medicine.

⸻

🌿 Call to Presence

Imagine treatments that:

Don’t just mute symptoms —
But restore balance at the root.

Autoimmune disease has long felt like the body at war with itself.

Now we understand the peacekeepers inside us.

🧬✨ The brakes were always there.
We just had to find them.

🧬🇪🇺 METHYLOMIC Symposium at UEG Week 2026On 19 October, the METHYLOMIC Symposium took place at UEG Week in Barcelona, ex...
19/10/2026

🧬🇪🇺 METHYLOMIC Symposium at UEG Week 2026

On 19 October, the METHYLOMIC Symposium took place at UEG Week in Barcelona, exploring the role and potential of DNA methylation in advancing precision medicine for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

The session brought together European experts to discuss treatment selection, biomarkers, therapeutic stratification and implementation in clinical practice.IFCCA was represented by Roberto Saldaña, Innovation and Patient Engagement Coordinator at IFCCA, who joined the panel discussion and provided the patient perspective on the challenges of inefficient therapy selection.

At IFCCA we are proud to be part of the METHYLOMIC project and its work towards more personalised IBD care. 💜

19/10/2026

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+3225408434

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