Dr. Loftus is a widely recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of Crohn's disease. He has created an issue devoted the current state-of-the-art on Crohn's disease; authors have written comprehensive reviews on the latest research to inform clinical diagnosis and treatment. Articles are devoted to the following topics: Genetics; Epidemiology, natural history, and risk stratification of Crohn’s disease; The microbiome in Crohn’s disease: Role in pathogenesis and role of microbiome replacement therapies; Endoscopic and radiographic assessment of Crohn’s disease; Intestinal and non-intestinal cancer risk in Crohn’s disease; Sexuality, fertility, and pregnancy in Crohn’s disease; Interdisciplinary management of perianal Crohn’s disease; Targeting specific immunologic pathways in human inflammatory bowel disease; Evolution of treatment paradigms in Crohn’s disease; Preventing and managing postoperative recurrence of Crohn’s disease; Where and how to use anti-TNF agents and anti-integrins in Crohn’s disease; Ustekinumab and anti-interleukin-23 agents in Crohn’s disease; Update on therapeutic drug monitoring in Crohn’s disease; and Janus kinase antagonists and other novel small molecules for the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Readers will come away from this issue armed with the information they need to improve management of this disease as well as patient outcomes.

In this issue of Gastroenterology Clinics, guest editor Dr. Sunanda V. Kane brings her considerable expertise to the topic of Medical and Surgical Management of Crohn’s Disease. Approximately 3 million people worldwide suffer with Crohn’s Disease, and this issue provides a thorough review of current treatment and management strategies in various patient populations. Topics include fecal microbiota transplant, microbiome-targeting diet, anti-TNF therapy in pediatric IBD patients, and many more. Contains 13 practice-oriented topics including mimics of Crohn’s; newer therapies for Crohn’s disease; diet and nutrition in Crohn’s disease; pediatric management of Crohn’s disease; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews of medical and surgical management of Crohn’s disease, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

In this issue of Gastroenterology Clinics, guest editor Dr. Marla Dubinsky brings her considerable expertise to the topic of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Pediatric patients with IBD become adult patients with IBD, making it imperative that children receive early, effective intervention to optimize their growth and development, minimize disease complications, and support patients on their journey from childhood to adulthood. In this issue, top experts provide up-to-date information that helps provide an evidence-based approach for each patient. Contains 11 practice-oriented topics including optimizing the transition and transfer of care in pediatric IBD; building a self-management toolkit for pediatric IBD patients; choosing the right therapy at the right time for pediatric IBD: does sequence matter?; the state of clinical trials in pediatric IBD; the role of diet in pediatric IBD; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

By the time this issue of Gastroenterology Clinics of North America is released, it will have been 16 years since infliximab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn disease. Not only have we come a long way in understanding the efficacy and safety of infliximab, we are beginning to understand how and when to use the drug. Furthermore, as of this writing, we have five other biologic agents approved for either Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis, and there are many more molecules currently in drug development for these indications. In this issue,the Editors have assembled a collection of experts to provide the most cutting-edge information on the status of biologic therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.

Together with Consulting Editor, Dr. Alan Buchman, Dr. Scott Lee has put together a state-of-the-art issue of Gastroenterology Clinics devoted to Ulcerative Colitis (UC). He has selected expert authors to contribute clinical reviews that provide the latest clinical findings and recommendations. Articles are devoted to the following topics: Epidemiology and pathogenesis of UC; Making initial diagnosis of UC and ruling out other diseases that mimic UC; Assessing severity of disease; Initial medical treatment of UC; Treatment of UC with steroids; Biologic therapy in UC; Non-biologic immune suppression in UC; Microbiome and fecal transplant in UC; Health maintenance in UC, including bone density scan, vaccination recommendations, cancer screening; Women's issues and UC; Risk of colon cancer and recommended surveillance strategies in UC patients; Surgical management of UC, indications and outcomes from colectomy; and Management of J-pouches. Readers will come away with the latest clinical recommendations they need to improve outcomes in patients with UC.

The Guest Editors have focused on methods of diagnosing and evaluating IBD to help guide optimal treatment to maximize clinical outcomes and minimize risks. Authors have provided state-of-the-art updates with practical information/guidelines/algorithms and cutting-edge data for incorporation into practice. The first set of articles deals with endoscopy: its role in diagnosis and monitoring IBD; the growing importance of chromoendoscopy in IBD surveillance exams; assessment of post-operative recurrence; and finally the emerging role of capsule endoscopy. The second section focuses on specific scenarios that IBD physicians encounter frequently: health maintenance in IBD focusing on proper vaccinations; the growing problem of Clostridium difficile in IBD; assessment of pouch problems; optimal evaluation of perianal disease; the state of the art in using thiopurines including use of allopurinol to optimize metabolites and optimizing the use of infliximab by measuring levels and antibodies to infliximab; factors to consider in choosing monotherapy versus combination therapy and communication of risk/benefit to patients; and finally disability assessment in IBD. The third and final section highlights noninvasive methods to evaluate IBD: clinical predictors of aggressive or disabling disease; the evolving role of specific antibodies in diagnosing, subtyping and most recently prognosticating in IBD; stool markers (calproctectin and lactoferrin) for evaluating and monitoring IBD; the growing role of imaging modalities with emphasis on MR enterography and CT enterography; and finally, the genetics of IBD and the potential role of genetic testing in the diagnosis/prognosis and tailoring of therapy.

Dr. Quigley has created a must-have reference on the gut microbiome for the practicing gastroenterologist. A leader in the field of human physiology and digestive disorders, he has laid out the basics on this increasingly important topic, devoting articles to the organization and biology of the human gut microbiome as well as its diagnostic potential. Top international authors have presented articles that discuss the intersection of the gut microbiome and diet and the gut-brain axis. Clinical implications of the gut microbiome are discussed with disease states like IBD, GI cancer, and liver diseases. Finally, the issue ends with the cutting-edge clinical innovation of fecal microbial transplantation. This issue bridges the gap between science and clinical practice and should be an important reference to practicing gastroenterologists.