Agonists and antagonists of nAChRα7 and their use as therapeutic agents for treating and managing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are disclosed. Agonists and antagonists of nAChRα7 and their use as therapeutic agents for treating and managing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are disclosed.