About TOpClass Consortium
The TOpClass Consortium is an international collaborative network of clinicians and researchers dedicated to transforming the understanding and management of perianal Crohn’s disease (pCD) — one of the most complex and challenging manifestations of Crohn’s disease. TOpClass brings together gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, gastrointestinal radiologists and pathologists from over 40 leading academic centres across 19 countries. By pooling expertise, data, and resources, we are establishing a unified framework for studying perianal Crohn’s disease — accelerating discovery and improving patient care through collaboration.
The consortium was founded on a shared commitment to address the unmet needs in perianal Crohn’s disease. Our initial work centred around the development of a novel, innovative classification system designed to optimise assessment of fistulising perianal Crohn’s disease for clinical and research use.
Our current work has expanded to encompass several complementary research streams, including:
Multiomic analysis: Integrating transcriptomic, metabolomic, and microbiomic data to unravel the biological drivers of fistulising perianal Crohn’s disease and identify novel therapeutic targets.
Advanced imaging and radiology: Developing and validating radiological endpoints and scoring systems to improve diagnosis, disease monitoring, and treatment assessment.
Clinical outcomes and endpoints: Defining standardized outcome measures and endpoints to enhance the quality of clinical trials and real-world studies.
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