Israeli researchers develop new early-warning technologies for Crohn’s and IBS

Two new innovative technologies have been developed by Israeli researchers that help detect Crohn’s and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) before symptoms present themselves, offering a potential breakthrough in medical care for millions of patients worldwide. 

The two technologies work together non-invasively to monitor the diseases and give patients and clinicians early warning signals, according to the researchers.

One of the projects, Navigut – led by PhD candidate Nachi Natan at the Weizmann Institute of Science – uses genetically-engineered bacteria to detect inflammatory activity in the gut. When the bacteria sense inflammation, a signal is produced that can be read through a simple urine test, allowing for earlier intervention.

Navigut was recognized at BioMix 2025, an innovation program supported by the Israeli drugmaker Teva.

The second project, developed by Wellnitor cancer researcher Ofir Bar, is a wearable smart patch designed to monitor stress levels and predict disease activity. According to Bar, the approach challenges the traditional symptom-reactive model of IBD treatment, offering preventive treatment before flares even start.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects more than 10 million people globally and is characterized by sudden, unpredictable flare-ups causing severe pain, hospitalization and long-term damage to the intestines. 

Research shows patients under high stress are at 3.6 times greater risk of having flare-ups. The smart patch regularly monitors physiological markers of stress alongside inflammation-related signals. The data is then analyzed in real time by an artificial intelligence system that alerts patients and doctors to a rising risk.

The two technologies seek to provide a real-time, more complete picture of the cause-and-effect relationship between stress and the inflammatory response related to the disease.

While the newly developed technologies won’t cure IBD, the ground-breaking research has the potential to change how Crohn’s is treated before a flare up starts. For medical practitioners, this could result in fewer hospitalizations, fewer complications and more individualized treatment decisions, according to the researchers. For patients, an often-unpredictable disease could become far easier to manage and control.

Both projects were part of the Teva BioInnovators Forum, a year-long, global program assisting doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in neuroscience and immunology. BioMix connects academic research with industry to take scientific discoveries and put them into real-world applications.

According to Dr. Dana Bar-On, senior director and head of academic and research collaborations at Teva’s Global Innovative Medicines R&D Division, the initiatives demonstrate the powerful partnership between academia and industry.

Speaking about the newly developed technologies, Bar-On emphasized the importance of sustained investment in collaborative research.

“The young minds of Israeli academia work with the global scientific community and continue to prove that innovation does not stop.” 

“This year, we saw initiatives rooted in a deep understanding of biology, engineering and medicine – driven not only by science but by a genuine desire to make a change, understand deep, unmet medical needs and help as many patients as possible.”