IBD is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract affecting millions of people worldwide. The last few decades have seen rapid increase of IBD cases in the US contributing to exorbitant health-care costs and morbidity rates. IBD comprises of two major subtypes: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Although the etiology of IBD is not completely understood, a complex interaction of environmental, genetic, immune, and gut microbial factors contributes to its pathogenesis. These factors ultimately converge to disrupt intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis, compromising mucosal barrier function, leading to unresolved relapsing inflammatory injury.