NEWER TREATMENTS FOR INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Despite intense investigative efforts, the causes of ulcerative coliti s and Crohn's disease remain elusive, The mainstay of medical therapy focuses on inhibition of the effects of the inflammatory mediators ope rant in inflammatory bowel disease because the causes of these two chr onic disorders are unknown. During recent years, the physician's armam entarium for medical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease has incre ased substantially, in this article, the current standard medical ther apies available for treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel dise ase are reviewed along with their efficacy; the side effects and statu s of other investigative drugs also are reviewed.