Environmental factors are thought to contribute to the development of a range of human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interestingly, the incidence of IBD is higher in patients with autism, compared to those without. We propose that inflammation to which a developing embryo may be exposed in the maternal […]

Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), a pathogenic form of E. coli, is known to accumulate in the intestinal mucosa of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Although it is believed that AIEC exacerbates the disease by promoting intestinal inflammation, the precise mechanism underlying the abnormal expansion of AIEC in the intestinal mucosa remains largely unknown. We have […]

Immunosuppressive drugs and anti-inflammatory biologics are used to treat moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, many patients suffer untoward effects, do not achieve remission and/or eventually relapse. Using a mouse model of colitis triggered by a pathogen of mice, we identified the host surface molecule B7-H3 as a suppressor of colonic inflammation. B7-H3 is thought to dampen […]

Mesenchymal cells are the building blocks of the connective tissue that provides rigidity and structural support for most organs. Although mesenchymal cells comprise the most abundant cell type in the intestine, their role in regulating intestinal inflammation is poorly understood. In this project we study the role of mesenchymal cells in colitis, the most prevalent […]

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is associated with currently untreatable conditions such as fibrosis and strictures that arise as a consequence of aberrant wound healing. It is of utmost importance that we understand the biology of normal wound healing and discover why IBD is associated instead with abnormal wound healing. Immune cells called macrophages help sense […]

The microbes that colonize the human intestine, collectively known as the gut microbiome, are critical players in many human diseases including IBD. Patients with IBD often have fewer different types of intestinal bacteria and an increase in certain types of bacteria associated with inflammation. In addition to bacteria, there are many viruses that live in […]