Multimodal imaging to predict ulcerative colitis relapse
Official title: Development of multimodal multiscale imaging platform for high-content molecular profiling of mucosal healing to predict the risk of relapse in ulcerative colitis
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11302835 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new imaging platform will be built to map tissue and immune signals in the gut to better predict when ulcerative colitis might flare again.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | September 11, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $629,808 |
| NIH project number | 1R01EB037445-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302835 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with ulcerative colitis undergoing monitoring and biopsy as part of standard care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without UC or those not undergoing mucosal biopsy as part of their care may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a whole-slide, multiscale imaging system that combines super-resolution and multiplexed molecular profiling of mucosal tissue from ulcerative colitis patients. By linking nuclear structure with immune microenvironment markers, researchers hope to identify patterns that signal relapse risk beyond current methods. The work involves advanced tissue imaging on biopsies and slides, followed by data integration to relate imaging features to clinical outcomes. The goal is to provide a more reliable picture of mucosal healing that could guide treatment decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with ulcerative colitis could benefit from more accurate relapse risk predictions and personalized treatment plans.
How similar studies have gone: Similar high-content imaging approaches have shown promise in other diseases but UC-specific predictive imaging is still developing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Yang — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Liu, Yang
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.