Monoclonal antibody therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.

Several anti-inflammatory drugs have therapeutic efficacy in inflammatory bowel disease, but their targets remain incompletely characterized. The development of monoclonal antibodies that either recognize epitopes on immune-competent cells, or neutralize pro-inflammatory cytokines, has helped to define the importance of inflammatory mediators and their cellular sources in experimental inflammatory bowel disease. Moreover, two monoclonal antibodies, directed against CD4 and tumour necrosis factor, have been used to treat patients with steroid-refractory Crohn's disease. Preliminary data suggest that immune-modulatory monoclonal antibodies may have beneficial effects in selected patients with severe Crohn's disease.