Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that includes two main disease entities-ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Although the pathogenesis of IBD remains unclear, it is widely accepted that genetic, environmental and immunological factors are involved. Animal models of IBD are indispensable for the understanding of the pathogenesis and novel therapeutic applications for IBD. IBD animal models can be divided into several different categories, including models of spontaneous colitis (cotton-top tamarin colitis); inducible forms of colitis (using acetic acid, dextran sulfate sodium and indomethacin); an adoptive transfer model (CD45RB^high transfer model); genetically engineered models (with IL-10 knockout or TCR-Ձ chain knockout mice). However, there is no 'perfect' model for human disease. Investigators must make judicious choices when selecting a model for a particular study. In this review, an overview of the different IBD animal models is provided and the contribution of the models to the current understanding of disease mechanisms is discussed, with the ultimate goal to develop future therapeutic trials. (Intest Res 2008;6:8-18)

• Keywords: Disease Models, Animal; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases