The invention relates to an assay to select a candidate drug for the treatment of inflammatory disease due to cytokine production. The assay comprises: a) exposing said candidate drug to intestinal cells； and b) analysing the effect of the said candidate drug selected from the group consisting of the variation of nuclear export or import of transcription factors from the NF-&kgr；B family the disruption of transcriptional activity of transcription factors from the NF-&kgr；B family, the differential histone acetylation of p65 (RelA)； the variation of the amount of PPAR&gamma；/RelA complexes in the cytosol of the cells； and a combination thereof. The invention further relates to methods for the treatment of inflammatory cytokine production associated diseases and to the use of a therapeutically effective dose of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron or a component thereof.
