We designed toehold switch sensors and NASBA primers to detect the mRNA of three biomarkers associated with inflammation (calprotectin, CXCL5, and IL-8) and oncostatin M (OSM), a cytokine that has recently been found to predict the efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha therapies in IBD patients20. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is inflammatory bowel disease.