Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR)

Eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and eosinophilic colitis are disorders in which a type of immune cell (called eosinophils) builds up in the digestive tract, causing gastrointestinal tissue damage. These disorders are painful, lifelong, and make it hard or impossible for people to eat many or all foods. The Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) includes clinical centers in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah. CEGIR’s goals are to improve the lives of patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases through research. CEGIR is conducting innovative clinical studies including interventional trials. CEGIR is collecting clinical information and biological samples from patients to better understand, diagnose and treat these conditions; develop the best methods to measure symptoms and track patients; develop better treatments; make data available to patients, clinicians, researchers, and the public; and engage and cooperate with patient advocacy groups.

The Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) is part of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and led by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) through its Division of Rare Diseases Research Innovation (DRDRI). CEGIR is funded under grant number U54AI117804 as a collaboration between NCATS, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). All RDCRN consortia are supported by the network’s Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) (U2CTR002818).  Funding support for the DMCC is provided by NCATS and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).