Accumulating data supports the concept that Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has a preclinical period that may be amenable to early diagnosis and intervention. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of this preclinical period in disease pathogenesis offers new opportunities in risk prediction and prevention. We have recently reported the first data from a large study using longitudinal […]

Recently there has been increased evidence that patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) commonly have disrupted sleep, and disrupted sleep correlates with the risk of disease flare. The sleep/wake cycle, immune function, and multiple biological processes are orchestrated by the circadian clock. The central circadian clock in the brain entrains these processes to the environment by […]

The microbes that flourish within our guts are central to many aspects of human health. Which microbes are present can dictate susceptibility to a number of acute and chronic diseases, including IBD. This proposal will use a mouse model with a defined and stable set of bacteria to probe how mice interact with specific members […]

NOD2 was the first and to date the most frequent gene associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The NOD2 protein functions as a sensor of bacteria by binding molecules (peptidoglycans) shed from the bacterial cell wall. The IBD mutations in NOD2 result in its inactivation or partial loss of function. In 2019 we reported that […]

Pain is a major component of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), increasing the suffering of patients and decreasing their quality of life. However, the underlying cellular basis for pain in IBD and the role of pain-mediating neurons in driving gut dysfunction are not well known. Our goal is to characterize the role of neurons that mediate […]

The interleukin-2 (IL-2) protein plays an essential role in regulating the immune response and preventing the development of autoimmune disorders by supporting the growth and activity of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Promising preclinical and clinical work has demonstrated the potential for IL-2 to mitigate autoimmune diseases, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, in addition to […]