The present invention provides compositions and methods for treating inflammatory conditions (e.g., of the bowel). In particular, the present invention provides methods of treating (e.g., therapeutically and/or prophylactically treating) inflammatory conditions (e.g., of the bowel), compositions useful for such methods (e.g., antagonists and/or inhibitors of angiotensin II (AngII) receptor Type 1a (AT1a)), and methods of identifying, characterizing and/or optimizing such compositions. Compositions and methods of the present invention find use in, among other things, clinical (e.g. therapeutic and preventative medicine) and research applications.