Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease remain a great therapeutic challenge to the medical community. In recent years knowledge about the pathogenesis of these diseases has progressed rapidly but the cause of the diseases remains completely unknown. It has become clear that dysregulation of the mucosal immune system is the basis for the chronic evolution of the diseases in a genetically susceptible population. Exciting new therapeutic approaches have been attempted in the last couple of years and cytokine and anti-cytokine treatments in particular seem very promising, especially in intractable disease. The format of the Falk Symposium 106 on Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases', held in Brussels, Belgium, June 18-20, 1998, was somewhat innovative as each session attempted to link the new insights into pathogenetic mechanisms with new therapeutic approaches, resulting in optimal information transfer. The classic therapeutic schemes were updated with a special focus on step-wise build-up of therapy.

John Libbey Eurotext is continuing to publish the gastroenterology course organised in Europe by leading international experts. The July 1999 course will examine the latest progress in treating the inflammatory bowel disease and digestive endocrine tumours with which doctors are often confronted. The following aspects are discussed: Epidemiological and genetic aspects; The immunological basis of inflammatory bowel disease; Extra-intestinal symptoms; Types of treatment. Edited by Professor Galmiche, chairman of the EAGE, the book gathers together biological and clinical information in a synthetic form aimed especially at young practitioners throughout Europe.