Additionally, a protein-protein interaction network analysis identified five major clusters, all of which have been determined to be critical processes in the pathophysiology of IBD17–20: neutrophil chemotaxis, interleukin-6 family signaling, interleukin-7 signaling, interleukin-18 mediated signaling pathways, and positive regulation of cellular respiration (Fig. 2c). Here, IL18 is linked to inflammatory bowel disease 17.