Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises a group of idiopathic diseases of the intestine characterized by chronic inflammation of the bowel with periods of exacerbation and remission. Although the exact cause of IBD remains undetermined, the condition appears to be related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors resulting in an aberrant activation of the mucosal immune system. This book contains a series of interdisciplinary discussions between clinical and basic scientists focusing on key issues such as:

• Epithelial cell and molecular biology, including apoptosis, necrosis and cell survival
• The role of bacterial milieu and mucosal bacteria in the IBD and of prebiotic and probiotic therapy
• The progress towards the identification of susceptibility genes and phenotype-determining genes
• The pharmacogenetics of IBD
• Mucosal immunology and therapeutic strategies stemming therefrom