jcm-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Emerging Treatment Options in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Gastroenterology & Hepatopancreatobiliary Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 464

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Humanitas San Pio X Hospital, Milan, Italy
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; digestive endoscopy; immunomediation; inflammatory disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Gastroenterology and Digstive Endoscopy, Humanitas San Pio X Hospital, Milan, Italy
Interests: gastroenterology; digestive endoscopy; innovative digestive endoscopy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, results from a multifactorial interplay of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immunological factors. Despite considerable advances in the understanding of its complex pathogenesis, IBD remains a lifelong, relapsing condition for many individuals, necessitating sustained, multidisciplinary management. Conventional treatments—including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and anti-TNF agents—have played a central role in clinical care but are often limited by primary non-response, secondary loss of response, or intolerable adverse effects.

Recent therapeutic developments have substantially broadened the available treatment landscape. These include selective biologics targeting IL-12/23 and IL-23 pathways, small molecule therapies such as Janus kinase inhibitors and S1P receptor modulators, and microbiome-based interventions. In parallel, emerging strategies in therapeutic drug monitoring, predictive biomarker integration, and individualized treatment algorithms are helping to tailor and optimize care.

Operative endoscopy represents an innovative and evolving therapeutic approach for the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These chronic conditions, characterized by persistent intestinal inflammation, often necessitate advanced treatment strategies to enhance patient quality of life and minimize the need for invasive surgical interventions. Recent advancements in endoscopic technology have introduced minimally invasive procedures, such as endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic balloon dilation, and endoscopic stent placement, that offer targeted treatment options for IBD patients. These procedures are supported by advanced technologies such as chromoendoscopy, which enhances lesion visibility, and confocal laser endomicroscopy, enabling cellular-level visualization during endoscopy. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence is improving diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic planning.

This Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine invites high-quality submissions from clinicians, researchers, and digestive endoscopists that address current and evolving treatment paradigms in IBD. Topics of interest include optimization of established therapies, real-world treatment outcomes, novel mechanisms of action, emerging drug targets, and strategies for managing refractory disease. Moreover, as digestive endoscopy has progressed beyond its traditional diagnostic role to become an integral component of therapeutic strategies for IBD, contributions on advanced endoscopic interventions for managing complications such as strictures, fistulas, and dysplasia are encouraged.

We especially encourage contributions that highlight personalized approaches, patient stratification models, and the integration of new therapies into routine clinical practice.

By consolidating recent advancements and ongoing challenges, this Special Issue seeks to inform clinical decision-making and catalyze future research toward durable, patient-centered management of IBD.

Prof. Dr. Sandro Ardizzone
Dr. Roberta Maselli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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
  • Crohn’s disease
  • ulcerative colitis
  • biologics
  • small molecule therapies
  • personalized medicine
  • therapeutic drug monitoring
  • immunology
  • gut microbiome
  • clinical practice
  • endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)
  • endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)
  • endoscopic balloon dilation and endoscopic stent placement
  • chromoendoscopy
  • confocal laser endomicroscopy
  • artificial intelligence

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

18 pages, 344 KiB  
Review
Intestinal Microbiota and Fecal Transplantation in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Clostridioides difficile: An Updated Literature Review
by Chloe Lahoud, Toni Habib, Daniel Kalta, Reem Dimachkie, Suzanne El Sayegh and Liliane Deeb
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(15), 5260; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14155260 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 403
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic relapsing and remitting inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an FDA-approved treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), with promising potential in patients with IBD. This manuscript [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic relapsing and remitting inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an FDA-approved treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), with promising potential in patients with IBD. This manuscript aimed to provide a comprehensive and updated review of the available literature on fecal microbiota transplantation, its clinical use in IBD in general, as well as in patients with IBD and CDI. Methods: An extensive literature search was performed from October 2024 to March 2025. All publications available within PubMed, Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases were reviewed. All original articles, case reports, review articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were included. Qualitative and quantitative data were both extracted. Discussion: Intestinal microbiota is an integral part of the human body, and dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut’s microbial community) has been linked with several pathologies. Dysbiosis in IBD is marked by reduced beneficial bacteria and increased pro-inflammatory pathogens, contributing to mucosal damage and immune dysregulation. FMT has emerged as a solution to dysbiosis, with the first case recorded in 1917. FMT has been successful in treating patients with CDI. The diagnostic value of the gut microbiome is currently being explored as a possible therapeutic approach to IBD. Several studies have assessed FMT in patients with IBD and CDI with promising results in both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) but varying efficacy based on administration routes, donor selection, and processing methods. In the context of recurrent CDI in patients with IBD, FMT demonstrates a high cure rate and potential benefit in concurrently improving IBD activity. However, risks such as IBD flare-ups post-FMT remain a concern. Conclusions: FMT holds promising potential in the management of CDI in patients with IBD. By restoring microbial diversity and correcting dysbiosis, FMT offers a novel, microbiota-targeted alternative to conventional therapies. While data support its efficacy in improving disease remission, variability in outcomes underscores the need for standardized protocols and additional large-scale, controlled studies. Continued research efforts into donor selection, treatment regimens, and long-term safety will be critical to optimizing FMT’s role in IBD and CDI care as well as improving patient outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Treatment Options in Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
Back to TopTop