What's new in inflammatory bowel disease in 2008?

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease represent the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease. In this highlight topic series of articles we cover the latest developments in genetics and epidemiology, intestinal physiology, mucosal immunology, mechanisms of epithelial cell injury and restitution, current medical therapy, modern surgical management, important extra-intestinal complications such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, cholangiocellular carcinoma and autoimmune hepatitis as well as endoscopic and molecular screening, detection and prevention of small bowel and colorectal cancer.