Open AccessGrowth factors as treatment for inflammatory bowel disease: A concise review of the evidence toward their potential clinical utility
Author(s) -
Josué Barahona-Garrido,
Jorge Hernández-Calleros,
Ignacio GarcíaJuárez,
Jesús K. Yamamoto-Furusho
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the saudi journal of gastroenterology/saudi journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1998-4049
pISSN - 1319-3767
DOI - 10.4103/1319-3767.54742
Subject(s) - medicine , inflammatory bowel disease , inflammation , keratinocyte growth factor , disease , immunology , innate immune system , acquired immune system , clinical trial , immune system , crohn's disease , bioinformatics , growth factor , biology , receptor
In the process of inflammation and repair of the intestinal mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there occurs a complex and an unknown interplay of innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. This interaction of factors may explain why IBD is characterized by a relapsing and remitting clinical course. Different components of innate immunity, hormones and interleukins in IBD have been suggested to be impaired. The growth hormone, epidermal growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor and colony-stimulating factors have emerged as potential tools for the modulation of intestinal inflammation and repair. Despite promising results of initial studies, the evidence that justify treatment of patients in clinical practice is not enough as some of the trials are nonrandomized or included a small number of patients. In this concise review, we provide a summary of the most recent and relevant evidence regarding the potential therapeutic effects of growth factors in IBD.