Clinical aspects of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) accompanies its patients throughout life. Current treatment options do not lead to a cure and are accompanied by significant toxicities. Numerous animal models contributed to the understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and led to the development of novel treatment strategies. Genome-wide association analysis added a novel dimension. Here, we discuss how characterization of mutated genes in animal models supports the identification of future therapeutic targets.