Building Fences: How A20 Protects the Intestinal Mucosa in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Excerpt

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic diseases with no definite cure found to date. The etiology of IBD is complex, as many factors are associated with disease onset and/or progression, including environmental factors (e.g., geographical variation, smoking, antibiotics, diet, and microbes), genetics, and a dysfunctional gut barrier [1]. Multifactorial involvement renders it difficult to pinpoint a single causative agent and provide targeted treatment for IBD. As a result, current treatment paradigms focus on inducing remission and reducing the frequency of flares, mostly by suppressing the uncontrolled immune response; this of course introduces treatment risks, including infection and malignancy. …