Brain network signatures of ulcerative colitis.

Recent studies show that the communication between the gut and the brain, known as the neuroimmune axis, plays a critical, possibly bidirectional, role in health and disease, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Research using mice has revealed that brain activity linked to ulcerative colitis can be traced to specific neurons in the brain. Critically, reactivating these neurons can reproduce symptoms after inflammation in the gut subsides, while inactivating them can provide some protection against a subsequent flare-up. Encouragingly, in colitis patients, brain imaging shows that colitis affects brain activity patterns, but a causal link has yet to be uncovered which limits our ability to leverage the neuroimmune axis to devise new treatment strategies. This research aims to map brain activity patterns caused by ulcerative colitis in mice and determine how these patterns relate to neural activity and symptom severity. Using advanced multimodal imaging techniques, and cutting-edge genetic tools, we will uncover causal links between clinically accessible brain activity patterns, via functional magnetic resonance imaging, and the activities of specific neural subtypes. This research could lead to new therapeutic targets to treat both the intestinal and neurological symptoms of IBD, bridging the gap between animal models and human applications.