Current Treatments, Emerging Therapeutics, and Natural Remedies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, lifelong disorder characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The exact etiology of IBD remains incompletely understood due to its multifaceted nature, which includes genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and host immune response dysfunction. Currently, there is no cure for IBD. This review discusses the available treatment options and the challenges they present. Importantly, we examine emerging therapeutics, such as biologics and immunomodulators, that offer targeted treatment strategies for IBD. While many IBD patients do not respond adequately to most biologics, recent clinical trials combining biologics with small-molecule drugs (SMDs) have provided new insights into improving the IBD treatment landscape. Furthermore, numerous novel and specific therapeutic targets have been identified. The high cost of IBD drugs poses a significant barrier to treatment, but this challenge may be alleviated with the development of more affordable biosimilars. Additionally, emerging point-of-care protein biomarkers from serum and plasma are showing potential for enhancing the precision of IBD diagnosis and prognosis. Several natural products (NPs), including crude extracts, small molecules, and peptides, have demonstrated promising anti-inflammatory activity in high-throughput screening (HTS) systems and advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted platforms, such as molecular docking and ADMET prediction. These platforms are advancing the search for alternative IBD therapies derived from natural sources, potentially leading to more affordable and safer treatment options with fewer side effects.