Immunotherapy of inflammatory bowel diseases: current concepts and future perspectives

• Authors: M.F. Neurath
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The etiology and the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), e. g. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are still not completely understood. However, there is growing evidence that an alteration of the mucosal immune system towards luminal antigens in a genetically susceptible host plays a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD. In particular, cytokines produced by intestinal epithelial cells, lamina propria macrophages and CD4+ T cells appear to contribute to the initiation and perpetuation of intestinal inflammation in IBD. This review focuses on the role of the mucosal immune system in the pathogenesis of IBD and potential novel immunotherapeutic strategies for chronic intestinal inflammation. Such strategies include recombinant antiinflammatory cytokines, neutralizing antibodies or fusion proteins, antisense oligonucleotides and adenoviral gene transfer.

Keywords

EN

CROHN'S DISEASE; CYTOKINE; GENE; IMMUNOTHERAPY; ULCERATIVE COLITIS

Discipline

• IMMUNOLOGY: IMMUNOLOGY

• Publisher: Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis
• Year: 2000
• Volume: 48
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 81-84

Contributors

author

M.F. Neurath

• Document Type: REVIEW
• Publication order reference: M. F. Neurath, Laboratory of Immunology, I. Medical Clinic, University of Mainz, Germany