Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an ongoing or chronic health problem that causes inflammation and swelling in the digestive tract. The irritation causes bleeding sores called ulcers to form along the digestive tract. This in turn can cause crampy, abdominal pain and severe bloody diarrhea.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that affects the large intestines, particularly the colon. It is classified as one of the two inflammatory bowel diseases along with Crohn’s disease.

FODMAP Research

Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)

Ulcerative Colitis Causes

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Pregnancy

Dysbiosis and the Microbiome

Mesentery: a new organ?

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer

Genetics of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Latest Inflammatory Bowel Disease News and Research

Scientists uncover immune mechanisms driving rare gastrointestinal disorder

A collaborative team led by Dr. Jingnan Li and Dr. Ji Li at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, together with Associate Professor Xiaohuan Guo at Tsinghua University and Academician Ye-Guang Chen at Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences, published a study in Volume 2, article number 28 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation on June 17, 2026.

26 Jun 2026

New project investigates gut microbiome for personalized bowel disease therapies

The gut microbiome plays an important role in inflammatory bowel disease. In the research project MikrobiomProCheck, researchers are investigating how microbiome data can in future be used for diagnostics, disease monitoring and personalized therapies.

26 Jun 2026

Study sheds light on why red meat may worsen inflammatory bowel disease

New research sheds light on why red meat may worsen inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - and how other protein sources could help protect the gut.

24 Jun 2026

Using blood proteomics to identify pediatric inflammatory bowel disease risk

For children with suspected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic, relapsing condition of the gastrointestinal tract, getting the right diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical evaluation, imaging, endoscopy, and histopathology.

24 Jun 2026

Natural microbial compound helps protect the gut from chronic inflammation

University of Louisville researchers have discovered how a naturally occurring microbial compound may help protect the gut and support future treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

24 Jun 2026

LMU researchers discover new genetic cause of Crohn's disease

A team led by LMU physician Daniel Kotlarz has identified a previously unknown genetic cause of Crohn's disease.

24 Jun 2026

Researchers uncover key mechanism driving chronic Sjögren disease

Sjögren disease, an autoimmune disease characterized by dry mouth and dry eyes, may reduce patients’ quality of life.

24 Jun 2026

GATA6 loss transforms colorectal cancer cells into metastatic states

Loss of GATA6-a transcription factor that controls which genes are turned on or off-can reprogram colorectal cancer cells into more primitive, adaptable states that can then spread to the liver and establish new tumors, according to Weill Cornell Medicine and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers.

22 Jun 2026

Synthetic gut communities reveal how diet rewires the microbiome

Synthetic microbial communities give researchers controlled models for testing how diet reshapes gut microbial ecology, metabolism, and host-relevant responses. The review highlights how SynComs can strengthen causal inference, improve intervention testing, and support future precision nutrition, while noting major challenges in stability, standardization, and ecological realism.

21 Jun 2026

Study identifies genetic marker associated with severe IBD

In the largest genetic study of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) traits to date, researchers have identified a genetic marker that is associated with more severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease – the major forms of IBD.

15 Jun 2026

Gut bacterial molecule reduces intestinal inflammation by slowing cell energy

Enterobactin, a molecule produced by gut bacteria, may hold a surprising key to reducing intestinal inflammation. Not by attacking the immune system directly, but by temporarily slowing down the cell's own energy production.

11 Jun 2026

Study identifies an important driver of inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, together with Newcastle University's Translational and Clinical Research Institute and the Department of Immunology at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, have identified an important driver of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

10 Jun 2026

GLP-1 therapies linked to fewer complications in adults with both obesity and autoimmune disease

Among adults with both obesity and an autoimmune disease, those taking a glucagon-like peptide-receptor 1 agonist (GLP-1RA) medication had lower rates of emergency department visits and were less likely to experience serious cardiac events, such as stroke, pulmonary embolism or death when compared to similar adults who were not taking these medications, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Jun 2026

EULAR 2026 highlights rising comorbidity risks in rheumatic disease

People with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) are at risk of a number of comorbidities, from cardiovascular diseases to cognitive impairment and fractures.

4 Jun 2026

Scientists map how genetic variation drives inflammatory bowel disease

Scientists have created the most detailed cell map to date showing how genetic variation influences inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), revealing the specific cells and genes that drive the disease.

3 Jun 2026

Sting signaling stimulates vital immune defenses to actively suppress aggressive tumor growth

A new review brings attention to the STING pathway as a critical regulator in both colitis and colon cancer, highlighting its complex and often opposing roles in inflammation and tumor development. The findings underscore how this key component of the innate immune system can act as both a driver of disease and a protective mechanism, depending on biological context.

25 May 2026

RNA modifications shape gut immunity and intestinal macrophage function

A new perspective on gut immunity is highlighting the powerful role of RNA modifications in shaping how the body maintains balance in the digestive system.

24 May 2026

First-of-its-kind pregnancy hormone test reveals why female IBD patients face severe symptom flares

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which comprises the inflammatory conditions Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, affects about 1.6 million Americans, many of whom cannot be effectively treated.

21 May 2026

Immune-regulating molecule may offer new treatment approach for IBD patients

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified an immune-regulating molecule that may help explain why some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, do not respond to commonly used therapies.

13 May 2026

Intestinal stem cells identified as active defenders against Salmonella infection

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science have identified a previously unrecognized defense mechanism in the intestine, showing that intestinal stem cells can actively respond to Salmonella infection and help protect the gut from bacterial invasion.

12 May 2026