Cohort profile of the PRoteomic Evaluation and Discovery in an IBD Cohort of Tri-service Subjects (PREDICTS) study: Rationale, organization, design, and baseline characteristics

•The current paradigm for the detection and treatment of IBD is dependent upon the development of symptoms and the subsequent confirmation of the diagnosis by biological, endoscopic, histological and/or radiologic exams, often at a time when the disease is already well-established and severe.•"Furthermore, our understanding of inflammatory bowel disease including the trigger events, pathogenesis and variable phenotype in populations is not completely understood.•To shift this paradigm, efforts are needed to provide insights into the characterization of the biological processes of disease, triggering events, the possible prediction of complications, and the detection of a pre-clinical disease state where, through early screening and intervention, disease course can be reversed, attenuated or even prevented.•To address this gap, a consortium of academic, industry and governmental organization investigators was established and the PRoteomic Evaluation and Discovery in an IBD Cohort of Tri-service Subjects (PREDICTS) study was initiated to enable an assessment of pre-disease biomarkers in patients newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).•This publication describes a blueprint for the creation of public-private pre-competitive partnerships to investigate disease triggers and lay the foundation for disease interception and prevention.