Papers of the Week

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is categorized as Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC) and it is characterized by chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Relapsing symptoms, including abdominal pain, increased stool frequency, loss of appetite as well as anemia contribute to significant deterioration of quality of life. IBD treatment encompasses chemotherapy (e.g. corticosteroids, thiopurines) and biological agents (e.g. antibodies targeting tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin 12/23) and surgery. However, efficacy of these therapies is not satisfactory. Thus, scientists are looking for new options in IBD treatment that could induce and maintain remission.