Chapter 8

Precision Medicine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Current Challenges

Eugen Dumitru and Cristina Tocia*

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic relapsing diseases with an increasing incidence worldwide, with variable and unpredictable evolution, as well as predisposition to complications throughout the disease. Despite the efforts of the academic world of research, their etiology remains incompletely elucidated, but intense research over the last decade showed that they are based on intricate complex pathophysiological mechanisms that occur in the genome, epigenome, microbiome, or immunome. Precision medicine is a new concept and its application in inflammatory bowel disease consists of adapting medical treatment to each patient who is viewed from an individual perspective, encompassing a multitude of evidence-based approaches in the literature, thus facilitating accurate medical decisions. Significant progress has been made by studying genomic data such as genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and microbiome. With a wide range of treatments available, the demand for precision medicine in inflammatory bowel disease is of paramount importance. The goal of precision medicine is to provide individualized care so that the patient's voyage from diagnosis to treatment is based on the individual biological characteristics. Precision medicine, in order to adapt one specific therapy to a specific patient at one specific time based on the patient's biological characteristics, is an important aspiration in the medical world. Although much progress has been made in this area, some challenges remain unclear. In the future, precision medicine has the capacity to provide personalized care to patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Total Pages: 91-103 (13)

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