Disclosed are methods and compositions for maintaining the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract luminal lining in a mammal, including (1) limiting epithelial cell proliferation, (2) inhibiting ulcerative lesion formation, (3) inhibiting inflammation normally associated with ulcerative diseases, and/or (4) stimulating the repair of ulcerative lesions and the regeneration of the luminal tissue. The methods and compositions include a therapeutically effective amount of a morphogen as defined herein.
