Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic diseases in which the body’s immune system attacks bacteria in the intestine causing inflammation. It is a group of chronic diseases of the colon and small intestine generally falling into the categories of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
IBD is a lifelong disease that can be controlled but not cured by medication, although cases of ulcerative colitis may be treated curatively by removing the colon. The illnesses tend to be diagnosed in childhood or young adulthood and are characterized by periods of remission followed by flare-ups of symptoms that can include abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, vomiting, weight loss and poor growth in children.
“On the outside, you wouldn’t know that someone has IBD,” says Daniel Hommes, MD, PhD, head of UCLA’s new Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. “But on the inside, it’s very destructive. A significant number of patients require frequent toilet visits and have problems with pain. Careers and relationships can be affected. The drugs that are available come with side effects and are ineffective in about 20% of patients, who end up needing experimental therapy or surgery.”
