Epidermal Growth Factor for Ulcerative Colitis

The treatment of active ulcerative colitis largely relies on the nonspecific antiinflammatory effects of aminosalicylates (mesalamine and sulfasalazine) and the broad immunosuppressive actions of corticosteroids and other potent immunomodulators.1 Data from animal models and patients with ulcerative colitis have highlighted the importance of the enteric microflora in the pathogenesis of the disease, yet in clinical trials, antibiotics and probiotics have had only limited efficacy against active disease. In ulcerative colitis, in contrast to Crohn's disease, there are few clinical data on the value of infliximab and other biologic agents.The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis remains unknown, but the disease may . . .