[Crohn's disease].
One more year, Digestive Disease Week 2008 has provided a forum in which multiple studies of Crohn's disease (CD) have been presented. Notable among these were numerous studies that will help to better define the efficacy and safety profile of the three anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-antibodies effective in the treatment of CD: infliximab, adalimumab and certolizumab. Moreover, the results obtained with other treatment strategies, such as anti-CD3 antibodies and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, were presented. Although not a treatment as such, the results presented by a French group, demonstrating that even very mild smoking has a negative impact on the course of CD, were of great interest. Overall, all the results presented indicate that further studies are required. Such studies should allow new drugs to be used, help to define how the available drugs should be combined, and investigate how individually-tailored treatment, based on prognostic factors, can be achieved to improve the results currently obtained in the treatment of CD.
Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Clínic i Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, España. msans@clinic.ub.es
Miquel
M
Sans
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab