Inflammatory bowel disease: recent advances on genetics and innate immunity

Abstract

The chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, arerecognized as important causes of gastrointestinal disease in children and adults. Insight intoIBD is advancing rapidly owing to a plethora of investigations into intestinal inflammation inanimal models , advances in the interrogation of diseases inherited as complex genetic traits,and the development of methods to define the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Theseadvances offer a better understanding of the genetically determined interplay between thecommensal microbiota, intestinal cells and the immune system, and the manner in whichthis interaction might be modified by environmental factors in the pathogenesis of IBD. Thepresent review highlights recent advances in IBD research.

Keywords IBD, genetic susceptibility, NOD2, innate immunity, autophagy

Ann Gastroenterol 2011; 24 (3): 164-172