Mercaptopurine and inflammatory bowel disease: the other thiopurine

Abstract

In our setting, mercaptopurine is primarily used as a rescue therapy in patients with azathioprine adverse effects. This could explain its modest efficacy and the high rate of adverse effects. However, this drug is still an alternative in this group of patients, before a therapeutic step-up to biologics is considered.

Current Strategies and Potential Prospects of Nanomedicine-Mediated Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…As a result, it improves vascular permeability, vasodilation, neutrophil infiltration, fibroblast activation, vascular proliferation, and collagen deposition. 38 , 39 Immunosuppressive medicines, such as tacrolimus, 39 mercaptopurine, 40 methotrexate, 41 azathioprine, 42 and cyclosporine, 43 could effectively inhibit lymphocytes activation and proliferation. Amino salicylate, for example, suppresses macrophage chemotaxis, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, and NF-κB signaling pathways.…”