Antibody treatment of ulcerative colitis

Recent advances in understanding the immune-mediated mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) identified a variety of novel targets. The monoclonal antibodies that either recognize epitopes on immune-competent cells, or neutralize pro-inflammatory cytokine or chemokines represent the major class of new biological therapies for UC that selectively target components of inflammatory cascade. These agents include monoclonal antibodies against pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α,) and chemokines (IP-10), cell adhesion molecules (α4; α4β7), T (CD25, CD4, CD3) and B (CD20) cells.

Section editor:Martin Braddock – AstraZeneca R&D Charnwood, Loughborough, UK