Harnessing nanomedicine for mucosal theranostics--a silver bullet at last?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been extensively studied in the last four decades both in animal models and humans. The treatment options remain disappointing, nonspecific, and associated with multiple systemic adverse effects. In this Perspective, we highlight issues related to emerging nanotechnologies designed particularly for treatment and disease management of IBD and discuss potential therapeutic target options with novel molecular imaging modalities.