Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The human gut microbiome is altered in patients with Crohn’s disease. This knowledge has led to research directed at altering the microbiome for therapeutic potential. Probiotics are an attractive therapy, both from a researcher’s perspective and also from the patients’ perspective. In this chapter, we will review the current clinical evidence for the use of probiotics in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. These studies are divided into three categories: induction of remission, maintenance of medically induced remission, and maintenance of surgically induced remission. Unfortunately, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of probiotics in the management of Crohn’s disease at this time.
Part of the book: New Insights into Inflammatory Bowel Disease