Interactions between the microbiota and the regulatory function of IL-22 in IBD

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) comprises several pathologic conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the GI tract. Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are the two main entities of IBD. Despite extensive research work, the exact pathogenesis of IBD has not yet been completely understood. However, it is broadly accepted that IBD is a multifactorial disease with a variety of contributing factors such as an impaired intestinal barrier function, a dysregulated immune response and a dysbiotic microbiota in the intestine that occurs in a genetically susceptible host.