The Pathogens Behind Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Over 2 million Americans suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which includes Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis [1, 2]. These patients experience debilitating digestive symptoms like persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain resulting in a detrimental impact on quality of life. While the exact cause of IBD is not fully understood, there is now overwhelming evidence that gut microbiota contributes to the aberrant immune response in genetically susceptible patients. In this article, we will present the evidence in three different layers.