Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Advances in pathogenesis and treatment research

Inflammatory Bowel Disease affects an increasing number of patients, with around 7 million people globally suffering from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. As the incidence continues to rise, especially in developing countries, scientists and clinicians combine efforts to improve the prognosis and quality of life of those affected. Research in the past years has seen pivotal advances in treatment strategies, including the use of biologics in personalised approaches. Emerging evidence points to a promising role of small molecules in therapy. Recent studies have also emphasised the role of the microbiome in the development of IBD as well as use of microbial modulation in treatment. While more and more evidence is being uncovered regarding the development of UC and CD, many factors contributing to the pathophysiology remain elusive. We are launching a Collection on these debilitating chronic diseases to collate new advances in the field and to comprehensively review current developments in IBD research. We are particularly interested in research on the pathogenesis of IBD as well as in studies describing new treatment strategies. We consider both basic and clinical research but strongly encourage authors to submit their experimental work to our collection. We are also interested in high-quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses in this field.