Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term for two conditions Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). It is characterized by chronic inflammatory process of patient’s gut. UC represents mucosal inflammation and is mainly located in the colon whereas CD can cause transmural inflammation and affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The causes of IBD are unknown. However, it is believed IBD involves a complex interaction between the environment, genetic, gut microbes, and immune system of the individual. Recent evidence suggest that intestinal epithelium might play role in the development and progression of IBD. Intestinal epithelium is a semi permeable physical barrier which prevents the invasion of pathogens but helps in the passage of nutrients. Disruption of the epithelium barrier might cause immune dysregulation in IBD. IBD has been world-wide health care burden with increasing incidence. The disease is mainly diagnosed in childhood or adolescence but can also affect any age group. There are no drugs that could halt the disease progression and restore specific tissue functions in the gastrointestinal tract.