ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2026
Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Mechanistic Insights and Biomarker-Based Evaluation of Therapeutic Response.
Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by dysregulated host-microbiota interactions, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and aberrant immune activation. Despite advances in biologic and small-molecule therapies, a substantial proportion of patients exhibit incomplete response, loss of response, or treatment-related adverse effects, underscoring the need for novel adjunctive therapeutic approaches. The vagus nerve exerts a pivotal effects on immune homeostasis through the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, thereby integrating peripheral immune sensing with central autonomic regulation. Within the context of IBD, a diminution in vagal tone has been observed to correlate with persistent mucosal inflammation and immune dysregulation. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (ta-VNS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that may activate vagal circuits and modulate neuroimmune signaling without surgical intervention. This review endeavors to critically evaluate the potential efficacy of ta-VNS in the context of IBD, with particular emphasis on its discernible effects on immune, epithelial barrier, microbiota-related, and autonomic biomarkers. Emerging evidence, stemming from preliminary investigations, suggests that ta-VNS may exert an influence on inflammatory cytokine profiles, epithelial tight junction integrity, gut microbial composition, and systemic autonomic balance, warranting further elucidation. In addition, the review discusses differential responses between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, summarizes current preclinical and clinical evidence, and highlights biomarker-based strategies for evaluating therapeutic response in future randomized controlled trials. Although current evidence remains preliminary and stimulation parameters are not yet standardized, ta-VNS represents a promising adjunctive neuroimmune modulation strategy in IBD.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.