Switching from Dose-Intensified intravenous to SubCutaneoUS infliximab in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (DISCUS-IBD): protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: A substantial proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on intravenous infliximab require dose intensification. Accessing additional intravenous infliximab is labour-intensive and expensive, depending on insurance and pharmaceutical reimbursement. Observational data suggest that subcutaneous infliximab may offer a convenient and safe alternative to maintain disease remission in patients requiring dose-intensified infliximab.

Characterization of the pathoimmunology of necrotizing enterocolitis reveals novel therapeutic opportunities.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe, currently untreatable intestinal disease that predominantly affects preterm infants and is driven by poorly characterized inflammatory pathways. Here, human and murine NEC intestines exhibit an unexpected predominance of type 3/T17 polarization. In murine NEC, pro-inflammatory type 3 NKp46RORγtTbet innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are 5-fold increased, whereas ILC1 and protective NKp46RORγt ILC3 are obliterated.

Gp96 Peptide Antagonist gp96-II Confers Therapeutic Effects in Murine Intestinal Inflammation.

Background: The expression of heat shock protein gp96 is strongly correlated with the degree of tissue inflammation in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, thereby leading us to the hypothesis that inhibition of expression gp96-II peptide prevents intestinal inflammation.

Methods: We employed daily injections of gp96-II peptide in two murine models of intestinal inflammation, the first resulting from five daily injections of IL-12/IL-18, the second a single intrarectal application of TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid). We also assessed the effectiveness of gp96-II peptide in murine and human primary cell culture.