Furuta Lab for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs)

Lab Mission

Dr. Furuta is a pediatric gastroenterologist who works to bridge the gap between patients and research, by creating novel approaches to care and treatment. On top of providing multi-disciplinary care for children with eosinophilic GI diseases (EGIDs), Dr. Furuta and his team perform clinical, translational and basic research to help serve the community.

Collaborations and Tools

Dr. Furuta utilizes his clinical expertise for the development of medical devices through teaming up with Dr. Shandas, the founder and director of the Department of Bioengineering. The partnership between Dr. Furuta and Dr. Shandas has resulted in multiple research grants including FDA and State of Colorado Biodiscovery grants. This collaboration has also generated a successful startup company EnteroTrack™ LLC, making Dr. Furuta’s research available to hospitals across the country.

Dr. Furuta’s lab trains multiple master’s students within the Department of Bioengineering to foster the skills and education of tomorrow’s scientific leaders.

Work We Do

The Furuta Lab has developed a revolutionary way to obtain biopsies of multiple cell types and macromolecules present in the upper GI tract – called The Esophageal String Test™. This test employs a device called the EnteroTracker® that replaces the need for repeated, sedated, costly endoscopic procedures. Comprised of a gel-covered capsule tethered to a string, the EnteroTracker® is swallowed by patients and subsequently retrieved. This process acquires a mucosal biopsy, while minimizing procedural invasiveness. The biopsy technique is coupled with Lab-Developed Tests (LDTs), offering a more efficient method to screen for GI tract disorders.

Dr. Furuta’s collaboration with the Center for Bioengineering is intended to further discovery and innovation for the improvement of patient care in clinical settings everywhere.

For more information, visit https://enterotrack.com/enterotracker-overview