The epithelial cells lining the intestine control responses to gut bacteria, limiting intestinal damage in Crohn’s disease. A critical gene in this pathway is DUOX2, which is up-regulated in response to bacteria, and helps maintain intestinal health. We discovered that Crohn’s disease patients who carry genetic variants in DUOX2 are more likely to progress to […]
Various immune cells in the gut recognize and respond to microbes that live there, which are collectively known as the gut microbiota. This project focuses on a subset of immune cells termed B cells, which are important for functions such as antibody production. In particular, we are investigating how certain kinds of beneficial gut bacteria […]
Our gut is constantly exposed to environmental harms, such as bacteria and dietary products, among others. The epithelium layer of our intestinal tract, which is the most exposed to the external world, contains a variety of immune cells, which likely play an important role in patrolling and defending our intestine. However, how these cells protect […]
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the colon. There are multiple types of cells that drive inflammation and injury to the lining of the colon. Vedolizumab (VDZ) is a medication that blocks circulating immune cells from gaining access to the colon, but there are conflicting data about the primary cell types […]
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors but the molecular mechanisms leading to chronic inflammation in the gut are largely not understood. Much of the heritable human risk for IBD, particularly in Crohn’s disease, can be mapped to defects in lysosomes, a cellular organelle responsible for bacterial degradation. Previous studies […]
In Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), inflammation of the digestive tract lining results in the development of chronic ulcers appearing throughout the intestines, colon or rectum. Although symptoms of IBD can be managed through the use of corticosteroids, complete disease remission is rare, often leading to surgical intervention. High expression of the transcription factor HIF-1_ is […]
The human gut microbiome has a profound impact on gut immunity in health and disease. Host-microbe interactions play a key role in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Microbial-induced immune pathways are plausible targets for intervention in IBD. Protists are unicellular organisms that commonly inhabit the human gut. Presently, the most […]
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by non-resolving pathological inflammation leading to erosion of the colon tissue. Recent studies analyzing gene expression signatures in UC patients highlighted specific colonic fibroblast populations that may contribute to inflammation and disease progression. While these studies emphasize the proinflammatory function of activated intestinal fibroblasts, it is unknown whether subsets of […]
Besides the brain, the gastrointestinal tract has the highest number of neurons in the entire body. The enteric nervous system (ENS) is often referred to as the second brain as it commands all manner of intestinal function, from nutrient absorption to defecation control. In patients suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), the ENS undergoes major […]
Knowledge of the intestinal microbiota has transformed medical science, but not the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The microbiota is difficult to use clinically because current analytical methods provide outputs that are too complex to provide useful data during an acute IBD flare. To solve these issues, we have developed a novel methodology, ‘MicFly’ […]
