CURRENT AND PROMISING NEW THERAPIES FOR INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic relapsing condition that can affect all age groups. No definitive cure for the disease has yet been found. Therefore the current goals of therapy are to control symptoms, induce and maintain remission, and limit the toxicities of available treatment. Older medications such as sulfasalazine and corticosteroids, while generally effective, are associated with side effects and complications that prevent high-dose delivery to the targeted area. Newer agents, including antimicrobials, immunoglobulin, and eicosanoid inhibitors, are now being developed to minimize these problems, and to inhibit the inflammatory response common in this condition.