ObjectiveTo summarize the recent progress in studies of intestinal immunity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). MethodsThe literatures on studying the intestinal immunity in IBD, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease were reviewed and analyzed. ResultsIBD comprised two main diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines: ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease. Although the diseases had some features in common, there were some important differences in clinical symptoms and pathological features. Accumulating evidence suggested that IBD results from an inappropriate inflammatory response to intestinal microbes in a genetically susceptible host. Immunity studies highlighted the importance of host-microbe interactions in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Prominent among these findings were genomic regions containing nucleotide oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2), autophagy genes, miRNAs, and components of the interleukin-23/type 17 helper T-cell (Th17) pathway. The disfunction of the intestinal microbiome, intestinal epithelium, intestinal immune cells, and the intestinal vasculature played a key role in the process of IBD. The treatment with monoclonal antibody had been introduced to treat IBD and had been certificated effective. ConclusionThe study of basic intestinal immunity and regulation network of molecules in pathogenic process of IBD provides theory basis on prevention of IBD, while related genes of IBD can offer more gene therapy targets.