Inside the Madrid IBD Summit: The Molecular Pathway Bridging Microbiome and Inflammation

In the sunlit halls of Madrid's prime venue holding the International IBD Summit, Gastroenterology experts gathered to debate the future of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care. Among them was Prof. Shomron Ben-Horin, M.D., Chief of Gastroenterology at Sheba Medical Center and Chief Medical Officer of Evinature, whose presentation offered a glimpse into how diet, the microbiome, and molecular biology might converge in novel treatment strategies.

Central to Prof. Ben-Horin's talk was the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a receptor embedded in the gut lining that orchestrates communication between immune cells, intestinal barriers, and microbial populations. "Was great speaking at the IBD Summit Madrid on techniques & pathways which conventional med has learned/borrowed over the years from 'complementary med.' Also talked at the Naturocyte symposium on the fascinating AhR pathway: linking diet, microbiome, and IBD, and also the molecular target of CurQD. Still much to learn with this reverse bedside-to-bench process..." he wrote afterward on LinkedIn.

Reverse Engineering from the Bedside

Prof. Ben-Horin's reflections hint at a subtle but profound shift in IBD research. Rather than following the traditional "bench-to-bedside" model of discovering a target in the lab, then testing it in patients, clinicians are increasingly observing patient responses first and tracing back the biological mechanisms.

This "reverse bedside-to-bench" method has positioned AhR as a receptor of interest. Its role in sensing plant-derived compounds and microbial metabolites, and in modulating immune tolerance and inflammation, makes it a prime candidate for therapies that extend beyond symptom suppression to restore balance in the gut ecosystem.

CurQD® as a Case Study in Mechanism-Led Research

One example cited in the broader discussion of AhR in the Madrid symposium was CurQD® , a curcumin and Qing Dai (Indigo naturalis) protocol developed by Evinature, which was reviewed in a lecture by Prof Mark Silverberg from Mount Sinai in Toronto, Canada. ,.. Professor Silverberg's lecture highlighted published randomized, placebo-controlled research and cohort studies in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, indicating CurQD®'s observed beneficial effects may be linked to AhR activation, a hypothesis that aligns with the pathway framework Prof. Ben-Horin outlined in his talk. In the current literature, CurQD® appears to be among the few natural protocols for which such a mechanistic association has been explored, placing it within a growing body of work that seeks to bridge traditional compounds and contemporary immunology.

What the Clinical Data Is Exploring

The discussion at the summit also reflected a broader trend in IBD research: evaluating integrative approaches using the same clinical, biomarker, and imaging endpoints as those used for conventional therapies. Multiple peer-reviewed studies on CurQD® were cited in this context, including real-world observational studies and randomized controlled trials.

In reviewing these studies, Professor Silverberg noted that researchers reported outcomes of CurQD on clinical response, remission rates, biomarker changes (e.g., fecal calprotectin), and endoscopic or imaging-based assessments in both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease populations. Some studies also explored maintenance outcomes and steroid-sparing observations over defined follow-up periods. Importantly, as noted by the speakers, in all these studies, CurQD nutritional support was used as an add-on to standard IBD care.

For clinicians attending the summit, the relevance of these studies lies less in individual percentages and more in what they represent: an attempt to subject non-conventional interventions to the same rigor, endpoints, and scrutiny expected in modern gastroenterology research.

What This Means for IBD Care

Prof. Ben-Horin's presentation concluded by noting the broader evolution in gastroenterology, whereby clinicians increasingly value treatments grounded in measurable biology rather than trial-and-error or anecdotal benefit alone. CurQD®, he said, exemplifies this approach, marrying the precision of molecular understanding with the appeal of a plant-based regimen.

Both Prof Ben-Horin and Silverberg noted that as the IBD field moves toward mechanism-informed care, AhR offers a blueprint for therapies that not only suppress inflammation but also restore equilibrium to the gut ecosystem, a strategy that could reshape both clinical expectations and patient outcomes.