| [ Summary ] |
The migration mechanism of lymphocytes is a new target in ulcerative colitis, as lymphocytes bind to the vascular endothelial cells during migration. Many medicines targeting the adhesion molecules expressed on the surface of lymphocytes and the blood vessel wall have been developed. The effectiveness of the humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody vedolizumab, which recognizes α4β7 integrin in lymphocytes, has been confirmed for patients with active ulcerative colitis without serious side effects in a phase 3 trial, resulting in the authorization of vedolizumab in Europe and the U.S. Since then, several congress reports about its clinical use in Europe and the U.S. have been published. Clinical trials of new drugs, therefore, continue owing to the success of vedolizumab, and the field is rapidly developing. |