Recent progress of novel strategies of small molecule drugs to treat inflammatory bowel diseases.

The rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in developing countries over recent years has elevated this condition to a serious public health concern. The limited remission rates of existing drugs for the clinical treatment of this disease highlight the urgent need to develop safer, more effective therapeutics. This review covers recent progress in research to elucidate the novel mechanisms of action of small molecule drugs that target receptors, kinases, enzymes, and inflammasomes in immune cells. Meanwhile, the paper also summarized the biological activities of these small molecule drugs, indications in clinical trials and the progress of clinical trials. It is necessary to develop multi-target or double-target therapeutic drugs to treat IBDs in the future.