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Molecular Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathophysiology and New Therapeutic...
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Molecular Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathophysiology and New Therapeutic Strategies—Second Edition

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Biology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3383

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marino Vilović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pathophysiology, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; biomarkers; pathophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a comprehensive medical term that represents a spectrum of chronic, idiopathic, and immunologically mediated digestive tract disorders, with the main representatives being Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Although there are still many unknown factors regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of this disease, it is believed to involve a complex interplay between genetic, epithelial, environmental, microbial, and immunological factors.

Considering that the number of affected patients is increasing worldwide and overall disease management often requires complex and expensive testing, there is a need for convenient, non-invasive, and economical solutions. It is becoming clear that molecular biomarkers are starting to represent a key component in IBD studies, as they can fulfil our requirements and potentially improve numerous areas in IBD management, including timely diagnosis, treatment response, the monitoring of disease activity, and mucosal healing. However, as the current most widely used biomarkers in IBD have certain shortcomings, there is substantial room for improvement and new studies in this field.

Therefore, the main goal of the upcoming Special Issue is to feature the most comprehensive and up-to‑date original research and specialized reviews helping to encompass and improve knowledge regarding molecular biomarkers that play significant roles in the complex pathophysiological pathways of IBD development, as well as exploring their potential to become new, effective, and reliable tools in disease monitoring, treatment strategies, and precision medicine.

Dr. Marino Vilović
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • Crohn’s disease
  • ulcerative colitis
  • biomarkers
  • molecular biomarkers in IBD
  • pathophysiology
  • therapeutic approaches in IBD
  • precision medicine

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2055 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Vedolizumab and Ustekinumab in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: A Real-World Retrospective Study
by Kei Nomura, Tomoyoshi Shibuya, Rina Odakura, Mayuko Haraikawa, Hirotaka Ishino, Masayuki Orikasa, Masashi Omori, Masao Koma, Kentaro Ito, Takafumi Maruyama, Osamu Nomura, Dai Ishikawa, Mariko Hojo and Akihito Nagahara
Biomedicines 2024, 12(9), 1991; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12091991 - 2 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1465
Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the large intestine. Data on the comparative effectiveness of biological therapies such as vedolizumab (VDZ) and ustekinumab (UST) remain limited. This retrospective study compared the effectiveness and safety of VDZ and UST in UC [...] Read more.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the large intestine. Data on the comparative effectiveness of biological therapies such as vedolizumab (VDZ) and ustekinumab (UST) remain limited. This retrospective study compared the effectiveness and safety of VDZ and UST in UC patients. Between November 2018 and November 2023, 106 patients were included: 64 received VDZ and 42 received UST. Bio-failure was significantly higher (p = 0.005) in the UST group versus the VDZ group. The remission rates at 6, 22, and 54 weeks in VDZ group were 51.6%, 61.3%, and 66.7%. The remission rates at 8, 24, and 56 weeks in the UST group were 66.7%, 65.0%, and 66.7%, respectively. Both treatments were comparable in inducing and maintaining clinical remission over 54–56 weeks, with no significant differences observed in the Lichtiger clinical activity index. Subgroup analyses highlighted the potential short-term effectiveness of UST among cases of bio-failure and a white blood cell level ≥ 9000/µL. Safety profiles were generally favorable, with no significant adverse events. Usutekinumab demonstrated effectiveness as a salvage therapy in patients who failed VDZ. Despite the increased disease severity in the UST group compared to the VDZ group, both groups demonstrated similar remission rates, suggesting UST shows significant efficacy even in moderate to severe UC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathophysiology and New Therapeutic Strategies—Second Edition)
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Review

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24 pages, 1157 KiB  
Review
Laboratory Tests in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Evidence-Based Approach to Daily Practice
by Katelin Durham, Tyler Atagozli, David E. Elliott and M. Nedim Ince
Biomedicines 2025, 13(2), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13020491 - 17 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1068
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) comprise a group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders characterized by periods of relapse and remission. The mainstay of treatment is medical, involving medications such as steroids, immune modulators, monoclonal antibodies (categorized as biologics), and small molecules. These medications can provide [...] Read more.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) comprise a group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders characterized by periods of relapse and remission. The mainstay of treatment is medical, involving medications such as steroids, immune modulators, monoclonal antibodies (categorized as biologics), and small molecules. These medications can provide profound therapeutic benefits, but they can also cause severe and irreversible toxicities. Clinicians may utilize laboratory tests in the diagnosis and management of IBD including assessment of disease activity, monitoring medication response or toxicity, surveillance of infectious complications, and detection of nutritional deficiencies. Routine use of laboratory tests may help clinicians avoid reactivation of life-threatening infections such as tuberculosis or hepatitis B virus upon initiation of immune suppressive therapy. They can also be used to detect vitamin deficiencies such as B12 deficiency, which has the potential to cause irreversible neurologic damage. While some laboratory tests constitute established practices, the utility of newer tests such therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in the era of biologics is an evolving topic. Although clinical assessment with imaging, endoscopic, and histopathological examination is standard practice, laboratory tests serve as valuable adjuncts. We aim to explore the broad range of laboratory tests available to clinicians and to summarize their application in the current management of IBD in daily clinical practice, with special attention to updates in therapeutic drug monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathophysiology and New Therapeutic Strategies—Second Edition)
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Other

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26 pages, 515 KiB  
Systematic Review
GLP-1R Agonists and Their Therapeutic Potential in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Other Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, a Systematic Review of the Literature
by Lena Thin and Wei Ling Teh
Biomedicines 2025, 13(5), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13051128 - 6 May 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have revolutionized weight loss and shown anti-inflammatory actions in several experimental models of colitis. There has been a wealth of recent data suggesting that GLP-1RA treatment may modify disease outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have revolutionized weight loss and shown anti-inflammatory actions in several experimental models of colitis. There has been a wealth of recent data suggesting that GLP-1RA treatment may modify disease outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this systematic review is to determine if GLP-1RAs can act as a sole or adjunctive agent to induce steroid-free clinical remission in IBD patients. Methods: The PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Clinical Trial, and EMBASE databases were interrogated with a pre-defined search strategy and eligibility criteria to examine the evidence regarding GLP-1RAs’ use in IBD and non-IBD immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) patients. Results: While there is a wealth of pre-clinical animal data suggesting that GLP-1RAs can ameliorate experimental colitis, there is a lack of prospective clinical studies on treating active IBD with GLP-1RAs to specifically induce steroid-free clinical remission. Surrogate data on better IBD composite outcomes have been reported with the use of GLP-1RAs, including a lower risk of surgery, hospitalization, corticosteroid use, and/or the initiation of advance therapies. Data from non-IBD IMID patients are only available for the effect of these agonists on psoriatic plaques, with positive signals. Conclusions: The current evidence for the role of GLP-1RAs as a potential anti-inflammatory therapy in IBD is limited, but provides the impetus for much-needed prospective studies and RCTs that include patients with active IBD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathophysiology and New Therapeutic Strategies—Second Edition)
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