title: Evolving knowledge and therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: With recent advances in the understanding of its pathophysiology, inflammatory bowel disease has become a very active area for the development of novel therapeutic agents. New targets for biologics include cytokines involved in T-cell activation, with antibodies directed against IL-12 and interferon-gamma. Selective adhesion molecule blockade has produced promising, though mixed, results. Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor might be effective in active Crohn's disease, presumably through stimulation of intestinal innate immune responses. With increasing evidence for a crucial role for luminal flora in maintaining the health of the bowel, strategies to manipulate intestinal bacteria using probiotics and prebiotics are being actively investigated as well.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Medicine, Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Korzenik
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Podolsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects*; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016207:Cytokines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor