Journal of Inflammation Research

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Era of Advanced Therapies: Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Long-Term Outcomes

The Journal of Inflammation Research is pleased to welcome you to submit your research to the Article Collection "Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Era of Advanced Therapies: Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Long-Term Outcomes".

Inflammatory bowel disease, encompassing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic immune-mediated condition whose incidence continues to rise worldwide, including in regions where it was historically uncommon. The therapeutic landscape has expanded considerably, from anti-TNF agents to anti-integrin and anti-interleukin antibodies, Janus kinase inhibitors and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators. Despite this expansion, a substantial proportion of patients fail to respond to first-line advanced therapy or lose response over time, and clinicians still lack validated tools to predict who will benefit from which mechanism of action.

At the same time, treatment targets have shifted from symptomatic relief towards endoscopic and histological healing, transmural remission and, increasingly, the concept of disease clearance, raising new questions about which measures of inflammation genuinely predict long-term outcomes such as surgery, hospitalisation, disability and colitis-associated neoplasia.

This Article Collection aims to bring together laboratory, translational and clinical research that connects the biology of intestinal inflammation to the decisions clinicians make in practice. We welcome studies on the cellular and molecular mechanisms sustaining chronic intestinal inflammation, including innate and adaptive immune pathways, epithelial barrier function, fibrosis and stricture formation, and the mechanisms underlying primary non-response and secondary loss of response to advanced therapies. We also welcome work on non-invasive and tissue-based biomarkers of mucosal and transmural inflammation, on histological and molecular definitions of remission, on the systemic and extraintestinal dimensions of IBD, on inflammation in the post-operative setting, and on the inflammatory basis of colitis-associated carcinogenesis. Studies addressing distinct populations, including paediatric-onset, elderly-onset and pregnancy-associated disease, are encouraged, as are analyses of comorbidity and of the interaction between inflammation, nutrition and mental health. Original research, translational and mechanistic studies, well-conducted real-world cohorts, narrative and systematic reviews, perspectives and commentaries are all welcome. Authors should consult the journal’s aims and scope and author guidelines before submission, and should note the article types the journal does and does not consider.

Keywords: Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Ulcerative Colitis; Crohn’s Disease; Mucosal inflammation; Gastrointestinal inflammation

Meet the Guest Advisors

Dr. Edoardo Vincenzo Savarino is Professor of Gastroenterology at the Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Italy, and heads the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre, the IBD Clinical Trial Centre and the Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory at Padua University Hospital. He received his medical degree and PhD from the University of Genoa and was a research fellow at the University Hospital of Zurich before joining the University of Padua in 2011. His research spans inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, neurogastroenterology and the role of the microbiota in immune-mediated disease. He has published extensively, has served as principal investigator in numerous clinical trials, and reviews for leading international journals including Gut, Gastroenterology and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Luisa Bertin is a gastroenterologist and PhD candidate in Oncology and Immunology at the Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Italy, where she completed her specialty training in Gastroenterology in 2025. Her clinical and research activity focuses on inflammatory bowel disease, with particular interest in treatment optimisation and non-invasive disease monitoring, including intestinal ultrasound and therapeutic drug monitoring, alongside work on oesophageal and immune-mediated gastrointestinal disorders. She holds national (SIUMB) and international (IBUS) certification in gastrointestinal ultrasonography and has completed ECCO advanced training in endoscopic scoring systems for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and reviews and acts as a peer reviewer for international gastroenterology journals.