一種新型DNA基因芯片已經研制成功，這種芯片被設計用來提高炎癥性腸病(inflammatory bowel disease,IBD)包括克羅恩病(Crohn’s disease)和潰瘍性結腸炎(ulcerous colitis)的診斷、判斷預后以及治療。

這種生物芯片叫做EBDChip，能夠分析與IBD相關的46種突變，計劃不久就開始臨床試驗。IBDChip分析多種基因多態性以幫助確定IBD的危險、判斷疾病預后、以及患者對治療出現的反應。這種芯片不僅可以幫助醫生選擇最合適的治療方法，還能夠幫助確定受測試家庭成員患上這種疾病的疾病易感性程度。

IBD的基因來源業已確定，在兒童和成人都可以發病?；颊呒彝コ蓡T也有10％-20％的可能患病。IBDChip涵蓋了文獻中報道的與該病相關的基因多態性。當新的基因突變被鑒定出來，可以很容易的將其整合至芯片之中。

IBDChip是由Progenika公司(Bilbao, Spain)研制開發的，這是一家生物科技公司。該公司已經研制開發了Lipochip，用于診斷家族性高膽固醇血癥。Lipochip是第一個獲得CE標志的用于診斷目的的生物基因芯片。

Biochip to Diagnose Bowel Disease
 
A new DNA chip has been developed that is designed to improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerous colitis, known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The biochip, called IBDChip, can analyze 46 mutations related to IBD and is scheduled to begin clinical trials soon. The IBDChip analyzes diverse polymorophisms that help to establish the risk of IBD, its prognosis, and the response of the patient to treatment. The chip not only helps doctors select the most suitable therapy but also helps determine in tested family members the degree of predisposition they have for developing the disease.

IBD, whose genetic origin has been proven, occurs in both children and adults. Between 10-20% of a patient’s family members also have the disease. The IBDChip includes the polymorphisms associated in the literature with the disease. As new mutations are identified, these can be easily incorporated into the chip.

The IBDChip was developed by Progenika (Bilbao, Spain), a biotechnology company. The company has also developed the Lipochip, which diagnoses family hypercholesterolemia. The Lipochip was the first biochip to obtain the CE Mark for diagnostic use.