Future therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.

Three domains are accepted components of the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): genetic predisposition, environmental stimuli, and abnormal immune response. The latter two are reasonable targets for medical therapies in the near future, whereas all three merit consideration for the more distant future as techniques of genetic manipulation evolve. In this review we summarize some of the fundamental concepts and offer comments on treatments for IBD that are likely and desirable in the near and distant future.