Therapeutic Opportunities in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Mechanistic Dissection of Host-Microbiome Relationships

The current understanding of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis implicates a complex interaction between host genetics, host immunity, microbiome, and environmental exposures. Mechanisms gleaned from genetics and molecular pathogenesis offer clues to the critical triggers of mucosal inflammation and guide the development of therapeutic interventions. A complex network of interactions between host genetic factors, microbes, and microbial metabolites governs intestinal homeostasis, making classification and mechanistic dissection of involved pathways challenging. In this Review, we discuss these challenges, areas of active translation, and opportunities for development of next-generation therapies.