IL23A and inflammatory bowel disease: 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.