The precise pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) is still unclear. However, novel treatment options have become available recently1,2 and several further compounds might soon help to further improve IBD therapy.3 Importantly, development of these drugs would not have been possible without translational research including preclinical studies in murine models. In such studies, imaging of diseased tissue is essential to characterize potential targets.