Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapies

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a rapidly developing field of gastroenterology and immunology. The etiology of IBD is complex and remains poorly understood, yet it is clear that it is a multifactorial phenomenon with roles for the genome, the microbiome, mucosal immunology and diverse environmental exposures. There have been tremendous advancements in our understanding of the inflammatory process over recent years, and with that has come a flurry of new therapeutic options targeting multiple different processes in the inflammatory cascade. While we are yet to achieve universal, or even near universal, response rates with the current line-up, we have seen significant impacts from these medications, with stricter targets previously rarely reached now positioned as achievable endpoints.

The purpose of this issue of Biomedicines is to review the current, imminent and future therapeutic armamentarium in IBD from the bench to the bedside. Each review will relate to a different therapeutic class and briefly describe the role of the therapeutic target in the inflammatory cascade, different approaches to manipulating the target, and the resultant drug, with a more in-depth analysis of the efficacy and safety of the drug. The review will include older drugs such as corticosteroids, thiopurines and methotrexate; established biologic therapies such as anti-TNF agents, vedolizumab and ustekinumab; newer small molecules such as tofacitinib; and newer biological agents and small molecules currently in phase 3 testing. Further reviews will relate to other therapies such as antibiotics and microbiome manipulation, nutritional therapy, and stem cells, both in perianal disease and stem cell transplants. In addition, separate reviews will be devoted to speculating future treatment targets including a brief overview of phase 1 and 2 trials, and special populations in IBD, including children, the elderly and pregnancy.

Prof. Ariella Bar-Gil Shitrit
Dr. Oren Ledder
Guest Editors

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• inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• ulcerative colitis
• therapeutics
• biologic
• microbiome