For example, chronic inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a known risk factor for C. difficile infection and is associated with higher mortality than individuals without IBD.75 The IL-23 pathway, which is induced by R848 and signals upstream of IL-22, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD, and antibodies that block IL-23 are used to treat IBD.76 Thus, a more targeted approach that specifically stimulates the IL-22 signaling pathway without activation of other pathways downstream of TLR7 may be suitable for mitigating the severity of C. difficile infection. This evidence concerns the gene TLR7 and inflammatory bowel disease.