Lymphocyte Homing Antagonists in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Lymphocyte homing antagonists represent promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Several critical molecules involved in the recruitment of inflammatory cells in the intestine, including integrins and chemokine receptors, have been successfully targeted for the treatment of IBD. These agents have shown great promise for the induction and maintenance of remission for both Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. This article discusses currently approved prototypic agents for the treatment of IBD (natalizumab, anti-alpha 4 integrin; vedolizumab, anti-alpha 4 beta 7 integrin), and several other agents in the same class currently under development.