The use of antibodies against tumour necrosis factor (TNF) has markedly improved the treatment of Crohn's disease, but only certain patients respond to therapy. Here, Raja Atreya and colleagues have developed an approach using topical fluorescent antibodies to TNF and confocal laser endomicroscopy to evaluate the expression of transmembrane TNF (mTNF) in the intestinal mucosa of patients with active Crohn's disease in order to identify patients likely to respond to subsequent treatment with the anti-TNF therapy, adalimumab.
- Raja Atreya
- Helmut Neumann
- Markus F Neurath
