Editorial
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2012; 18(23): 2895-2901
Published online Jun 21, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i23.2895
Potential prospects of nanomedicine for targeted therapeutics in inflammatory bowel diseases
Madharasi VA Pichai, Lynnette R Ferguson
Madharasi VA Pichai, Lynnette R Ferguson, Discipline of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Author contributions: All authors have contributed equally to this paper.
Correspondence to: Lynnette R Ferguson, Professor, Discipline of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Grafton Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. l.ferguson@auckland.ac.nz
Telephone: +64-9-9236372 Fax: +64-9-3035962
Received: October 29, 2011
Revised: April 5, 2012
Accepted: April 10, 2012
Published online: June 21, 2012
Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn’s disease are highly debilitating. There are inconsistencies in response to and side effects in the current conventional medications, failures in adequate drug delivery, and the lack of therapeutics to offer complete remission in the presently available treatments of IBD. This suggests the need to explore beyond the horizons of conventional approaches in IBD therapeutics. This review examines the arena of the evolving IBD nanomedicine, studied so far in animal and in vitro models, before comprehensive clinical testing in humans. The investigations carried out so far in IBD models have provided substantial evidence of the nanotherapeutic approach as having the potential to overcome some of the current drawbacks to conventional IBD therapy. We analyze the pros and cons of nanotechnology in IBD therapies studied in different models, aimed at different targets and mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis, in an attempt to predict its possible impact in humans.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn’s disease; Ulcerative colitis; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Nanomedicine