Game Changers in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The accurate etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD-Crohn's disease [CD], ulcerative colitis [UC]) is still unknown. According to the accepted theory, the disease seems to be the consequence of an abnormal immune response induced by luminal antigen exposure. In the absence of clear etiology, there is no targeted treatment that can cure IBD. Moreover, the heterogeneity and complexity of UC and CD greatly complicates their treatment. The disease dramatically decreases the patients' quality of life and accounts for substantial costs to the health care system and society. Moreover, since the therapeutic goal includes not only clinical and endoscopic remission, but also mucosal healing, i.e. deep remission, both basic and clinical research is needed.

Considering these facts, the significance of scientific research and innovations in the last decades, which have enriched the therapeutic tools of the gastroenterologist is clear. A large number of studies have been published on new management lines, innovative drugs, serum and fecal markers. Such innovations could be the introduction of new molecules such as anti-integrin antibodies, anti-IL23 antibodies, Janus Kinase inhibitors or mesenchymal stem cells; the application of the right predictors and excellent monitoring or even the improvement of patient management. Accordingly, this Research Topic aims to address which potential outcomes will prove crucial to our understand and treatment of IBD.

In this special issue, we welcome contributions original research and review articles from both clinical and basic science. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Targeted therapy in IBD
· Small molecule therapies
· Biological therapy and biosimilars
· Adhesion antagonists
· Stem cell therapy
· Gut microbiota
· Fecal microbiota transplantation
· Predictors of treatment response
· Therapeutic drug monitoring
· Biomarkers of disease activity