Inflammatory bowel disease - II. Gene mapping

In part 1 of this review, we summarized the evidence that a major component of the etiology for the various forms of IBD, ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease, is genetic susceptibility. In part 2, we have reviewed the gene mapping success, the current state of knowledge of candidate genes, and the lessons from genetic animal models. The rapid progress in the last few years suggests that we will soon identify a number of the genes that predispose to IBD in man. This will provide tools for risk assessments, diagnosis, prognosis, and patient-specified therapy, and will provide new knowledge to develop noval approaches to disease therapy and prevention. © 2001 Academic Press.