The inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are chronic idiopathic disorders that afflict millions of people worldwide and that incur billions of dollars in direct and indirect health care costs every year, as well as an untold burden of human suffering. While the causes of these diseases are still unknown after many decades of research, it appears that they emerge from a confluence of genetic, immunologic, microbiologic, and environmental factors.

We invite investigators from every field of biomedical science to submit original papers or reviews that will illuminate our understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, presentations, natural history, complications, or management of these cruel and bewildering disorders. Topics of interest could include, but are not limited to:

• Genetic and immunologic determinants of derangements in intestinal immunity
• The role of microbial or dietary factors in the initiation or perpetuation of intestinal inflammation
• The pathophysiologic mechanisms by which chronic inflammation leads to systemic manifestations, including cancer and anemia
• The basis for the protean phenotypic presentations of these chronic inflammatory disorders
• The promise of developing practical biomarkers that accurately, objectively, and quantitatively reflect the activity of the inflammatory process and that may predict its outcome
• The rationale by which current therapies inhibit or interrupt the inflammatory process and the prospects for new therapeutic strategies

Articles published in this special issue will not be subject to the journal's Article Processing Charges.

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/iji/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: