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Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Research topic

Open research questions in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

353 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 935 Inflammatory Bowel Disease papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Lack of dedicated clinical trials assessing the efficacy of available therapies for perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease. Limited understanding of the etiology of perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease. Sub-optimal management of perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease.

    Bayesian prior elicitation on the efficacy of medical therapies in perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease · 2026 · DOI

  • further studies are needed to investigate the association between breastfeeding and UC risk, - more research is needed to explore the relationship between dietary patterns and UC risk, - studies should investigate the effects of different types of antibiotic exposure on UC risk

    Dietary, lifestyle, and environmental factors associated with ulcerative colitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies · 2026 · DOI

  • The specific associations between dietary, lifestyle, and environmental exposures and the risk of incident ulcerative colitis are not well understood. Prior studies have reported inconsistent findings, and a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis is needed to clarify the relationships between these factors and ulcerative colitis risk.

    Dietary, lifestyle, and environmental factors associated with ulcerative colitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies · 2026 · DOI

  • the evidence is limited by heterogeneity, small sample sizes, retrospective designs, and lack of standardized outcome measures, - there are no validated Behcȩt-specific IFX or ADA trough targets, - guideline recommendations remain divergent

    Optimizing anti-TNF therapy in Behçet’s disease: the role of therapeutic drug monitoring · 2026 · DOI

  • further studies are needed to validate Behcȩt-specific therapeutic trough targets for infliximab and adalimumab, - research on proactive TDM is evolving

    Optimizing anti-TNF therapy in Behçet’s disease: the role of therapeutic drug monitoring · 2026 · DOI

  • One challenge is the large, noisy, and modality-specific nature of spatial data, requiring computational methods to assign cell types and detect spatial statistics. Another challenge is the need for standard data structures and benchmarking efforts to make spatial data analysis pipelines comparable across studies. The paper also highlights the challenge of demonstrating reproducible incremental value of spatial biomarkers beyond established clinical, serum, stool, endoscopic, histological, and imaging variables.

    Spatial multi-omics-guided drug development in inflammatory bowel disease: from mucosal immune niches to precision therapy · 2026 · DOI

  • Progression from an exploratory tissue signature to a clinically actionable biomarker will require an assay-locked platform, prespecified thresholds, and prospective external validation

    Spatial multi-omics-guided drug development in inflammatory bowel disease: from mucosal immune niches to precision therapy · 2026 · DOI

  • Further exploration of the structural dynamics underlying international research cooperation, - Investigation of the shift in research emphasis toward precision medicine and predictive modeling

    Biologic therapy for Crohn’s disease (2015–2025): a bibliometric analysis of global research trends and current status · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of systematic tracking of research trends on biologic therapy for Crohn's disease. The need for a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to map the research landscape of biologic therapy for Crohn's disease.

    Biologic therapy for Crohn’s disease (2015–2025): a bibliometric analysis of global research trends and current status · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of different types of physical activity on UC risk, - Examine the relationship between physical activity and UC risk in different age groups or populations, - Develop and test UC prevention guidelines based on accelerometer-based measurements

    Accelerometer-measured physical activity and risk of incident ulcerative colitis: a population-based prospective study · 2026 · DOI

  • The absence of established preventive strategies for ulcerative colitis. The inconsistent results of prior studies on the physical activity-ulcerative colitis risk relationship.

    Accelerometer-measured physical activity and risk of incident ulcerative colitis: a population-based prospective study · 2026 · DOI

  • The mechanisms influencing self-management behaviors in adolescents and young adults with IBD remain under-explored. Prior work has not fully examined the chain mediating role of basic psychological needs and anxiety/depression in the relationship between perceived social support and self-management behaviors.

    The association between perceived social support and self-management behaviors in adolescents and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease: the chain mediating role of basic psychological needs and anxiety/depression · 2025 · DOI

  • current research supports that IBD remains incompletely understood, - physiological changes associated with IBD lead to inconsistent drug release, - highly variable transit time makes it difficult to control time-released drug delivery

    Advancing Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment by Targeting the Innate Immune System and Precision Drug Delivery · 2025 · DOI

  • further research is needed to pair NET inhibition with ROS-responsive nanocarriers, - new avenues are emerging for UC and CD treatment, including new monoclonal antibody therapies

    Advancing Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment by Targeting the Innate Immune System and Precision Drug Delivery · 2025 · DOI

  • a thyroid function monitoring - exploring the genetic and immunologic connections between IBD and thyroid disorders - further research to enhance our understanding of the interrelation between IBD and thyroid disorders

    Thyroid disorders and inflammatory bowel disease: an association present in adults but also in children and adolescents · 2025 · DOI

  • Malnutrition in IBD patients results from various complex factors such as inflammatory response and clinical complications. The lack of standardized evaluation tools available for patients with IBD. The need to identify malnutrition in IBD patients to impact their prognosis.

    The simplified GLIM criteria for assessment of malnutrition and its correlation with clinical outcomes in Crohn’s disease patients · 2025 · DOI

  • the study was conducted at a single hospital, - the study had a limited sample size of 386 patients, - the study was retrospective, - the loss of muscle mass was not analyzed due to the absence of data collected in the original database

    The simplified GLIM criteria for assessment of malnutrition and its correlation with clinical outcomes in Crohn’s disease patients · 2025 · DOI

  • development of a more personalized approach to avoid unnecessary treatments and toxicities - investigation of the role of gut microbiota in determining therapeutic failure

    Cellular and Molecular Determinants of Biologic Drugs Resistance and Therapeutic Failure in Inflammatory Bowel Disease · 2024 · DOI

  • Conduct of pragmatic clinical trials using the established priors, - Further research on the biology underlying perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease

    Bayesian prior elicitation on the efficacy of medical therapies in perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Background and AimsFibrostenotic stricture is a severe complication of Crohns disease (CD) that affect up to 50% of patients over their lifetime, causing irreversible narrowing of the intestinal lumen and bowel obstruction, but the molecular programs that distinguish stenotic from non-stenotic inflammation and the relative contributions of fibrosis and smooth-muscle remodeling remain incompletely characterized.

    Layer-Resolved Spatial Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Distinct Fibrotic and Muscularizing Submucosal Niches in Fibrostenotic Crohn's Disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract Background Adipose tissue measures are poorly defined in pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD).

    Defining adipose tissue profiles in children with Crohn’s disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Conclusion Available evidence does not suggest increased risks of incident or recurrent cancers with IM therapies in individuals with IBD after cancer, although data are limited.

    Post-cancer use of immune-modulating therapies in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease: a review of risks and recommendations · 2026 · DOI

  • However, data on the association of the ITGA4 rs1143674 variant with subclinical atherosclerosis in UC patients are lacking in the literature, and the impact of age on the manifestation of this genetic risk has not been evaluated.

    Association of the ITGA4 rs1143674 polymorphism with subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with ulcerative colitis over 40 years of age · 2026 · DOI

  • Conclusions These observations support an alternative view of CD in which intestinal lymphatic dysfunction plays an under-recognized role in both promoting and sustaining inflammation.

    Revisiting the role of lymphatics in Crohn’s disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Conclusions Disability literature in PIBD is scarce and lacks a pediatric‐specific instrument.

    Disability in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases: A systematic review and a single center experience · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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353 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 935 Inflammatory Bowel Disease papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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