Humans evolved with, and continue to harbor, trillions of microorganisms living inside or on our bodies. As a result, these microbes play fundamental roles in our health. The last 20 years of research has focused almost exclusively on our resident bacteria. New technologies have enabled identification of viruses within the intestine, i.e. “the virome”. Moreover, […]
NOD2 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2) is one of the most prominent risk factors in Crohn’s disease (CD), but the chemical mechanisms by which NOD2 mutations gives rise to CD is unclear. NOD2 is a proposed sensor of bacterial cell wall fragments that when mutated results in intestinal inflammation. However, the specific commensal bacteria that […]
There is a critical need for non-invasive tests of Crohn’s disease activity to effectively guide diagnosis and therapy. Changes in the gut bacteria both reflect and contribute to inflammation in Crohn’s disease; however, current diagnostic test including invasive endoscopy or imaging procedures do not provide functional insight into the contribution to the underlying pathogenesis. Here, […]
Patients with IBD most commonly suffer from diarrhea. However, some IBD subjects also experience bouts of constipation as well. We propose that viral infections that humans acquire through insect bites (mosquitos and ticks) can infect cells that innervate the intestines and control bowel movements. We found that the immune system recognizes these infected cells and […]
Although there are many drugs available for the treatment of IBD, most patients do not respond long-term to any one drug. One possible reason is that the condition we call “IBD” likely represents many distinct diseases, rather than simply just ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, and each subtype may require a different treatment. Here we […]
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are part of the group called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a medical condition where the immune system is causing severe intestinal and colonic inflammation leading to severe complications. Former therapies rely on suppressing the immune system but modern treatments, so-called biological treatments, are blocking certain steps in disease progression or […]
Eicosanoids are signaling molecules that contribute to both the development and resolution of inflammation. Inflammasomes are immune sensors that help to trigger immune responses to infection. Tuft cells are specialized cells of the intestinal lining that are important during infection with parasitic worms. Eicosanoids and inflammasomes have been separately implicated in IBD, although the underlying […]
Although there are many drugs available for the treatment of IBD, most patients do not respond long-term to any one drug. One possible reason is that the condition we call “IBD” likely represents many distinct diseases, rather than simply just ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, and each subtype may require a different treatment. Here we […]
