Reversibility of Stricturing Crohn's Disease-Fact or Fiction?

Intestinal fibrosis is a common feature of Crohn's disease and may appear as a stricture, stenosis, or intestinal obstruction. Fibrostenosing Crohn's disease leads to a significantly impaired quality of life in affected patients and constitutes a challenging treatment situation. In the absence of specific medical antifibrotic treatment options, endoscopic or surgical therapy approaches with their potential harmful side effects are frequently used. However, our understanding of mechanisms of fibrogenesis in general and specifically intestinal fibrosis has emerged. Progression of fibrosis in the liver, lung, or skin can be halted or even reversed, and possible treatment targets have been identified. In face of this observation and given the fact that fibrotic alterations in various organs of the human body share distinct core characteristics, this article aims to address whether reversibility of intestinal fibrosis may be conceivable and to highlight promising research avenues and therapies.