Recent advances in research and development of new small molecule immunosuppressants for inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder including mainly ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). In China, IBD has become a common disease of the digestive system with an dramatic increase in incidence in recent years. The pathogenesis of IBD is not yet clear, and no drugs can completely cure IBD. Compared with monoclonal antibody drugs, small molecule drugs have the advantages of low cost, easy development as oral agents, and absence of immunogenicity. This review summarizes the recent research and development of small molecule immunosuppressants for IBD.