Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses chronic conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, in which the immune system mounts a dysregulated response against the gut, causing persistent inflammation and tissue damage. Genetic studies have identified hundreds of susceptibility loci that implicate pathways in immune signaling, intestinal barrier function, and the body's interactions with its microbial residents, helping to explain why some individuals develop IBD while others do not. Despite this progress, the precise mechanisms linking genetic variation to disease onset and severity remain incompletely understood, as do the reasons why IBD incidence has risen sharply in newly industrialized countries over recent decades. Current research is focused on translating these genetic and immunological insights into more targeted therapies that can achieve sustained remission rather than merely managing symptoms.

Works

123,282

Total citations

2,295,932

Keywords

Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseCrohn's DiseaseUlcerative ColitisGeneticsImmunologyTherapies