Emerging therapeutic targets and strategies in Crohn’s disease

ABSTRACT

Crohn’s disease (CD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory bowel disease, in which inflammation is driven by a complex interaction between the microbiota, immune cells, genes and mediators. New mechanisms of action and several cytokines have been identified as factors involved in the inflammatory process in CD, and many new molecules have been developed to treat this complex disease. New agents have been developed that target leukocyte trafficking, block or adhesion molecules for example, as well as the development of antibodies against classic inflammatory cytokines or therapies directed against IL-12/23 and Janus kinases. The development of selective mechanisms of action and targeting of different cytokines or inflammatory mediators for each patient presents the biggest challenge for the future in CD therapy. Such agents are currently at different phases of development. We aim to review the current literature data on a targeted approach in CD, which could be promising alternative approach for CD patients in the near future.

KEYWORDS:

• Crohn’s disease
• anti-adhesion molecules
• anti-cytokine
• biologics
• small molecules

Financial & competing interests disclosure

S Danese has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory board member for Schering-Plough, AbbVie, MSD, UCB Pharma, Ferring, Cellerix, Millenium Takeda, Nycomed, Pharmacosmos, Actelion, Alphawasserman, Genentech, Grunenthal, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Novo Nordisk, Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, Vifor and Johnson & Johnson, Nikkiso Europe GMBH. G Fiorino has received consulting fees from Abbott Immunology, MSD, Takeda, Nikkiso Europe GMBH and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. F Furfaro has received consulting fees from AbbVie and MSD. D Gilardi has received consulting fees from Nikkiso Europe GMBH. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. The authors would like to thank Miss Marie Cheeseman for her kind review of English.