Regulation of Mucosal Immune Responses – The Missing Link in IBD?

The intestine is quite distinct from other organs which are involved in chronic inflammatory/autoimmune diseases. Mucosal surfaces, in particular the intestinal mucosa, represent the major interface between the immune system and the antigens and microbes of the external environment. In order to deal with this challenge a specialized mucosal immune system has evolved, which is marked by certain features distinct to this system1. The massive antigenic challenge and the specialized features of the mucosal immune system add further complexity to our potential understanding of the mechanisms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) compared to diseases such as autoimmune diabetes or multiple sclerosis, which affect organs that are largely sequestered from antigenic challenge.