Immunology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics

Quan Lu,1,2,* Mei-feng Yang,3,* Yu-jie Liang,4,* Jing Xu,5 Hao-ming Xu,5 Yu-qiang Nie,5 Li-sheng Wang,1,2 Jun Yao,1,2 De-feng Li1,2 1Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University), Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Hematology, Yantian District People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital (School of Medicine of South China University of Technology), Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jun Yao; De-feng Li, Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University), No. 1017, Dongmen North Road, Luohu District, Shenzhen, 518020, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 755 25533018, Email yao.jun@szhospital.com; ldf830712@163.comAbstract: As a main digestive organ and an important immune organ, the intestine plays a vital role in resisting the invasion of potential pathogens into the body. Intestinal immune dysfunction remains important pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this review, we explained the interactions among symbiotic flora, intestinal epithelial cells, and the immune system, clarified the operating mechanism of the intestinal immune system, and highlighted the immunological pathogenesis of IBD, with a focus on the development of immunotherapy for IBD. In addition, intestinal fibrosis is a significant complication in patients with long-term IBD, and we reviewed the immunological pathogenesis involved in the development of intestinal fibrogenesis and provided novel antifibrotic immunotherapies for IBD.Keywords: inflammatory bowel disease, immune system, immunological pathogenesis, immunotherapy