Recent Advances in Molecular Targeted Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Progress in the development of molecular targeted therapies in the field of inflammatory bowel disease has been remarkable. With the advent of molecular-targeted agents, treatment strategies have changed, and higher-level treatment goals have been set. In terms of the long-term prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease, there has been a clear decline in the rate of surgery since 2000 when anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody preparations were introduced. However, a large number of molecular-targeted agents with diverse modes of action have appeared, and their positioning has become complicated and often confusing for clinicians. Furthermore, these agents are expensive and therefore present economic challenges. The selection of therapeutic agents for inflammatory bowel disease based on the mode of action and prediction of treatment effects continues to be a major issue, and it is hoped that artificial intelligence and machine learning will help resolve these problems.