GEM Project


This year marks the third year of recruitment for the GEM project, a study funded by CCFC. This past year has been a break-through year for the project with many new successes and milestones including more sites and funding.


So far, a total of nine new cases of Crohn’s have been identified through the study. While unfortunate that more individuals will develop Crohn’s, this does enable investigators to compare and distinguish between study participants who remain healthy and those who develop the illness. They will ensure that they match the information of people diagnosed with Crohn’s to those who do not develop Crohn’s, ensuring age, gender, geographic location, and date of enrolment in the study are all comparable.


Investigators are also asking a multitude of questions about the environmental influences of participants in the study, such as whether they have been exposed to second-hand smoke or have lived with pets, to detect environmental triggers of illness.


“We are looking for some factor that is different between those who develop Crohn’s and those who do not,” explains Dr. Ken Croitoru, GEM Project leader.


The GEM project is the world’s first large scale study attempting to define the genetic, environmental and microbial factors that influence the development of Crohn’s disease.


To date the project has successfully recruited over 1,750 subjects but needs at least another 750 before the funding runs out. Expanding the number of participants is a priority for the GEM study: the goal for 2012 is to hit 2200. Every new participant represents a small but important step closer to finding the cause of Crohn’s disease.


The GEM Project has recently expanded overseas and in July welcomed its first site in Israel. Located in Jerusalem, they have had huge success in recruiting participants.


This past year the study received additional funding from the Canadian


Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), as part of the Human Microbiome Project. This allows the researchers to extend the analysis to every subject recruited to the GEM cohort, and to specifically investigate the interaction between the host genetics and the microbial makeup of the gut.


The study continues to receive recognition in the media and the scientific community. The GEM Project was featured on Breakfast Television in Halifax, online on CBC and CTV, and in local newspapers. This has helped raise the study’s profile and attract new recruits.


If you have Crohn’s disease or have a sibling or parent with Crohn’s, get involved! For information about the study, please contact the global project office at 1-866-803-9632 or at info@gemproject.ca.


CCFC Staff , Board Members and Volunteers at Congress 2011


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EDITION 3 | 2011 The Journal 15


COMPLETE, BALANCED NUTRITION® ® ALIMENTATION COMPLÈTE ET ÉQUILIBRÉE*


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