Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The format of the Falk Symposium 106 on "Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases", held in Brussels, Belgium, June 18-20, 1998, attempted to link the new insights into pathogenetic mechanisms with new therapeutic approaches, resulting in optimal information transfer. This book summarizes the findings. The classic therapeutic schemes were updated with a special focus on step-wise build-up of therapy. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease remain a great therapeutic challenge to the medical community. Knowledge about the pathogenesis of these diseases has progressed rapidly but the cause of the diseases remains completely unknown. It has become clear that dysregulation of the mucosal immune system is the basis for the chronic evolution of the diseases in a genetically susceptible population.