title: Biological therapy for ulcerative colitis.
abstract: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) worldwide. Better understanding of the pathogenesis of UC has led to the development of novel therapeutic agents that target specific mediators of the inflammatory cascade. A number of biological agents have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of UC and several more are currently in various phases of drug development. The commonly used agents include TNFα antagonists (e.g. infliximab, adalimumab, and golimumab) and anti-integrin agents (vedolizumab). These biological agents have profoundly influenced the management of UC patients, especially those with refractory disease. This paper reviews the currently available knowledge and evidence for the use of various biological agents in the treatment of UC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Zubin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA shenb@ccf.org.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shen
keywords: TNFα antagonists; anti-integrin agents; biological therapy; ulcerative colitis