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’ […]
The bacteria in the human colon can influence gastrointestinal lining cells [intestinal epithelial cells (IECs)] and immune cells within the intestines and throughout the body. One way that bacteria do this is through their metabolites, the chemicals they produce. By influencing IECs and immune cells, gut bacterial metabolites affect resistance and susceptibility to Inflammatory Bowel […]
Inappropriate and chronic inflammatory responses underly the development of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), including both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. This process is an intertwined, inter-cellular cascade among diverse immune cells and tissue stroma. The interactions between immune and stromal cells not only propagate inflammatory responses but also regulate resolution of inflammation. Yet, we do […]
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 […]
Despite medical advances, a significant proportion of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients are resistant to therapies, with CD4 T cells being consistently activated. Analysis of inflamed tissues from a cohort of refractory IBD patients reveals an enrichment of metabolism gene transcripts in CD4 T cells. Exploring the mechanisms, our preliminary data demonstrate that several proinflammatory […]
