Antitumour necrosis factor therapy in Crohn's disease.
The key role and contribution of various pro-inflammatory cytokines in common chronic inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been thoroughly investigated in recent years. Besides IL-1, TNF-alpha has been identified as one of the central immune mediators controlling inflammatory processes. Not surprisingly, neutralisation of these cytokines has been introduced into clinical research. Crohn's disease (CD) is one of the chronic inflammatory disorders where TNF-alpha seems to have a particularly important role. Neutralisation of this cytokine by specific antibodies, for example infliximab, has been shown recently to affect the clinical phenotype of this disorder. Other TNF-neutralising approaches such as etanercept have also been studied in patients with CD but with less successful outcomes. These new cytokine-targeting approaches have changed clinical medicine in the field of inflammatory disorders.
Tilg
Herbert
H
Department of Medicine, University Hospital Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. herbert.tilg@uibk.ac.at
Kaser
Arthur
A
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab