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What is Crohn's DIsease?
Symptoms, Treatments, and Breakthrough Clinical Trials:
Nicholas Kruzdlo B.S.
Physician Reviewed
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn's disease is a chronic form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation in the digestive tract and can greatly affect daily life. Crohn’s can affect any part of the digestive system, from the mouth through the intestines down to the anus. Patches of the disease can occur throughout the entire digestive tract.
Crohn’s is one of the most severe forms of IBD and comes with numerous symptoms and complications. Understanding whether you may have Crohn’s can help you manage these symptoms and risks. While there is no treatment that cures Crohn’s, medication is available to reduce the severity of the disease and lead to remission.
What Causes Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn's disease is an autoimmune-related condition thought to result from a combination of genetic susceptibility, immune system dysfunction, and environmental triggers. In people who are genetically predisposed, the immune system becomes overactive and mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to chronic inflammation. Factors such as smoking, diet, changes in the gut microbiome, and possible infections may contribute to triggering or worsening the disease.
Is Crohn’s Disease genetic?
Crohn’s disease is not caused by a single gene mutation or inherited in a predictable pattern. Instead, Crohn's disease is a complex, polygenic disease, meaning it results from the combined effect of many genes plus environmental factors.
There is no specific inheritance pattern that Crohn’s follows, but having a first-degree relative with Crohn’s disease increases your risk 10–15 times compared to the general population.
What are the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?
Early Crohn’s Disease Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease can mimic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBS is usually diagnosed before the age of 30 but can present later in life. Patients with Crohn’s will likely experience stomach pain, severe and persistent diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss.
Additional Symptoms
Due to severe stomach pain and persistent diarrhea, patients with Crohn’s may experience weight loss and malnutrition due to a reduced appetite and reduced nutrient absorption in the gut. This can lead to further downstream effects such as low iron (anemia), osteoporosis, internal ulcers, and fistulas.
Understanding My Symptoms
There is no single test or symptom that can diagnose Crohn’s disease. An official diagnosis usually requires a combination of symptoms, imaging, and laboratory testing.
Crohn’s disease can affect patches of the gastrointestinal tract, meaning symptoms can vary significantly from person to person and may not present in the same way across all patients.
How To Diagnose Crohn’s Disease
What Are the First Steps?
A combination of imaging and laboratory testing is typically used to diagnose Crohn’s disease. If you or a loved one suspect Crohn’s disease may be affecting you, contact your doctor to begin a diagnostic workup. This may involve:
Colonoscopy
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
CT scans
MRI
Blood tests
Stool samples
An important part of the diagnostic process is ruling out other medical conditions that can present with similar symptoms.
What Can I Do After My Crohn’s Diagnosis?
Lifestyle Adjustments for Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s is a chronic, relapsing condition with flare-ups that can cause mild symptoms to become severe. While no single lifestyle modification can cure Crohn’s, certain changes may help reduce the risk of flare-ups. These include:
Avoiding prolonged periods of high stress
Avoiding processed foods
Consistent light to moderate intensity exercise
Mediterranean-style diet
Medication to Treat Crohn’s Disease
There is no medication currently available that cures Crohn’s disease. However, several FDA-approved medication classes have been proven to reduce symptom severity and induce remission:
Aminosalicylates (5-ASAs) – Act locally in the gut to reduce inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory pathways. Used in mild cases of Crohn’s, though with lower efficacy in Crohn’s compared to other IBDs.
Corticosteroids – Bind to glucocorticoid receptors inside immune cells, leading to broad suppression of the immune response. Powerful, fast-acting anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects.
Immunomodulators – Reduce immune activity by interfering with DNA synthesis and cell proliferation, slowing immune system activity over time.
Biologic therapies – Targeted antibodies that block specific immune pathways (anti-TNF, anti-integrin, anti-interleukin). Provide precise immune pathway inhibition rather than broad suppression.
Small molecule drugs – Inhibit the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, which transmits inflammatory signals inside immune cells.
I have Tried Medication for My Crohn’s and Nothing is Working.
It is common for individuals with Crohn’s disease to go through several medication classes without finding effective relief. Crohn’s is difficult to treat due to its autoimmune nature. It can become increasingly frustrating when treatment options appear limited. If several therapies have failed, it may be time to explore clinical trial options.
Crohn’s – Clinical Trial treatment Options
There are currently several medications for Crohn's disease in late-stage clinical trials (Phase 3 and beyond), many of which introduce new mechanisms of action and the potential for improved efficacy.
How Can Covenant Metabolic Specialists Help You?
Covenant Metabolic Specialists offers patients access to one of these emerging therapies through an ongoing clinical trial. The medication is called tulisokibart. It represents a promising new direction, particularly for patients who do not respond to existing medications.
Unlike current biologics, Tulisokibart targets the TL1A pathway, which plays a role in both inflammation and intestinal fibrosis—an area largely unaddressed by FDA-approved treatments. In a recent Phase 2 trial, the drug demonstrated encouraging results in a difficult-to-treat population.
Key highlights:
~49% clinical remission at 12 weeks in moderate–severe patients
~71% of participants had failed prior biologic therapies
~Targets both inflammation and fibrosis, unlike most current drugs
~Favorable safety profile with mostly mild–moderate side effects
These findings suggest Tulisokibart may offer a meaningful alternative for patients with treatment-resistant disease.
All findings are based on the Phase 2a APOLLO-CD trial of Tulisokibart (Feagan et al., 2025).
Contact Us
If this treatment option seems right for you, please reach out to us through our website: Contact Covenant Metabolic Specialists | Schedule an Appointment to schedule an Appointment.
Or give us a call at 855-444-9595. Crohn’s remission may be just a few steps away!
Bibliography
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