Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.0
5.7
Journals
Pharmaceuticals
Special Issues
Pharmacotherapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 2nd Edition
share announcement

Pharmacotherapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 2nd Edition

A Special Issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247) belonging to the section "Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 July 2026) | Viewed by 1935

Editor

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kruis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Clinic for Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Protestant Hospital Kalk, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn's disease (IBD); ulcerative colitis; controlled trials in IBD; observations in rare manifestations of IBD; pharmacological studies; studies on pathogenesis of IBD
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Successful treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is characterised by two challenges: the wide range of miscellaneous clinical manifestations requiring individual therapeutic strategies and the permanent advent of novel therapeutic compounds. Given the ongoing scientific work on the pathogenesis of IBD, development of pharmacological immune modulation has become a predominant focus for research groups and the pharmaceutical industry. Starting with classic immunosuppressants, the development of antibodies, oligonucelotides, and, more recently, small molecules has substantially expanded the range of pharmaceuticals available for IBD. In addition, new insights into traditional drugs have reaffirmed their value as effective remedies in daily clinical practice.

Multifaceted new therapeutic options increase the opportunities available to both patients and physicians in clinical practice. However, this expansion must be accompanied by skill enhancement grounded in scientific discussions published by experts in the field.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide our readers with concise yet comprehensive and up-to-date reviews on the conservative management of various manifestations of IBD.

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kruis
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals 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 2900 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

  • treatment of Crohn's Disease
  • treatment of ulcerative colitis
  • mesalamine for ulcerative colitis
  • mesalamine for Crohn's Disease
  • antibody strategies in IBD
  • small molecules for IBD
  • conservative management of Crohn's fistula
  • therapy for extraintestinal manifestations
  • new endpoints for treatment

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 (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

16 pages, 392 KB  
Article
Towards Precision Medicine in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Pharmacogenetic Predictors of Ustekinumab Effectiveness and Persistence
by Ylenia Marino, Michelangelo Rottura, Claudia Ligresti, Antonio Battaglia, Clara De Francesco, Natasha Irrera, Vincenzo Arcoraci, Walter Fries, Anna Viola and Giovanni Pallio
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(9), 1428; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19091428 - 10 Sep 2026
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), show substantial variability in response to biologic therapies. Ustekinumab, which targets the IL-12/23 pathway, is an established treatment for moderate-to-severe IBD; however, a proportion of patients fail to achieve [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), show substantial variability in response to biologic therapies. Ustekinumab, which targets the IL-12/23 pathway, is an established treatment for moderate-to-severe IBD; however, a proportion of patients fail to achieve sustained remission or discontinue treatment over time. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and persistence of ustekinumab and to explore the potential role of pharmacogenetic markers in predicting treatment outcomes. Methods: In this observational cohort study, 98 IBD patients treated with ustekinumab, with or without corticosteroid bridge therapy, in routine clinical practice were enrolled. The primary endpoint was steroid-free remission (SFR) at 12 months, defined as clinical remission without concomitant corticosteroid use, whereas treatment discontinuation was evaluated during follow-up. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in selected immune-related genes were analyzed: PTPN2 rs7234029, HLA-C rs10484554, IL23R rs11209026, and IL12B rs6887695. Results: Of the 98 patients included, 73 (74.5%) achieved SFR, whereas 25 (25.5%) did not. Carriers of IL12B rs6887695 variant genotypes showed higher odds of achieving SFR than wild-type patients after adjustment for disease type and baseline disease activity (OR = 4.77; 95% CI, 1.60–14.23; p = 0.005). During follow-up, 16 patients (16.3%) discontinued treatment. Carriers of IL12B rs6887695 variant genotypes also showed a significantly lower hazard of ustekinumab discontinuation than wild-type patients (HR = 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10–0.85; p = 0.024). Conclusions: This study provides real-world evidence supporting the effectiveness and persistence of ustekinumab in IBD patients. IL12B rs6887695 emerged as a potential pharmacogenetic marker associated with favorable ustekinumab outcomes; however, this exploratory and hypothesis-generating finding requires external validation in larger, independent cohorts before clinical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacotherapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1247 KB  
Case Report
Off-Label Ustekinumab and Vedolizumab in Pediatric Anti-TNFα Refractory IBD: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Insights from a Case Series
by Stefania Cheli, Giulia Mosini, Vera Battini, Carla Carnovale, Sonia Radice, Marta Lebiu, Alessandro Cattoni, Giovanna Zuin and Emilio Clementi
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(1), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19010154 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1472
Abstract
Background: Vedolizumab and ustekinumab are increasingly used off-label in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unresponsive or refractory to anti–TNFα therapy. Despite their increasing use in clinical practice, evidence in the pediatric population remains limited, especially regarding therapeutic exposure thresholds and the clinical [...] Read more.
Background: Vedolizumab and ustekinumab are increasingly used off-label in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unresponsive or refractory to anti–TNFα therapy. Despite their increasing use in clinical practice, evidence in the pediatric population remains limited, especially regarding therapeutic exposure thresholds and the clinical utility of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Methods: We report a series of five pediatric cases with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis treated with ustekinumab or vedolizumab after anti-TNFα failure. Trough drug concentrations, anti-drug antibodies (ADAs), clinical scores (PCDAI/PUCAI), biomarkers (fecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein), and endoscopic findings were assessed longitudinally. Results: In all cases, we observed recurrent discordance between clinical indices (PCDAI/PUCAI), biochemical markers, and endoscopic activity. Clinical improvement frequently correlated with trough concentrations above commonly cited adult-derived reference ranges (>15 µg/mL for vedolizumab; >3 µg/mL for ustekinumab), although this alignment was not uniform across patients. Notably, one patient developed high-titre ADAs with undetectable ustekinumab levels, yet remained clinically stable, suggesting substantial interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and disease control. Conclusions: Ustekinumab and vedolizumab are promising off-label options for pediatric refractory IBD. In this case series, TDM contributed to the interpretation of pharmacokinetic variability and immunogenicity, offering contextual insights that may support dose adjustments and therapeutic decision-making. Integrating TDM with clinical, biochemical, and endoscopic monitoring may improve optimize individualized treatment in this complex and vulnerable patient group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacotherapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop