| Theme | Therapeutic strategy for Crohn's disease -- Should mucosal healing be a final goal? | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Therapeutic approaches targeting fecal microbiota in Crohn's disease | |
| Publish Date | 2012/05 | |
| Author | Akira Andoh | Devision of Mucosal Immunology, Graduate School, Shiga University of Medical Science |
| [ Summary ] | Inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are chronic intestinal disorders of unknown etiology in which the mucosal immune system exhibits an aberrant response to commensal bacteria. The gastrointestinal tract has developed ingenious mechanisms to coexist with its autologous microflora, but rapidly responds to invading pathogens and then returns to homeostasis with its commensal bacteria after the pathogenic infection has cleared. In cases of disruption of this tightly-regulated homeostasis, chronic intestinal inflammation may be induced. Previous studies have shown that some commensal bacteria are detrimental while others have either no influence or provide protective actions. In addition, each host has a genetically determined response to detrimental and protective bacterial species. This suggests that therapeutic manipulation of imbalances of microflora can influence both health and disease states. Therapeutic approaches to modulate the balance of intestinal microflora and their potential mechanisms of action are discussed. | |