Monthly Archives: February 2019

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and its subtype Crohn’s disease (CD) arise due to a loss of tolerance to environmental antigens in genetically susceptible individuals. Longitudinal analysis of CD incidence has identified an inverse correlation betwe… Continue reading →

Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) exhibits multifaceted biological activity in the mucosa via binding to GM1 ganglioside on intestinal epithelial cells. We recently found that a recombinant variant of CTB, which contains an artificial KDEL endoplasmic reti… Continue reading →

Inflammation, injury, and infection upregulate intestinal expression of the tryptophan metabolizing enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). In most disease models, IDO1 activity dampens inflammatory responses, reduces host injury and promotes reco… Continue reading →

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter and hormone that has many important physiological functions throughout the body. In the gastro-intestinal tract, 5-HT regulates electrolyte and fluid homeostasis, visceral sensation, motility … Continue reading →

Goblet cells (GC) contribute critically to intestinal barrier function and mucosal immune homeostasis. GC dysfunction is linked to human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the cellular mechanisms that regulate GC function are incompletely under… Continue reading →

Dysbiosis and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are hallmarks of ulcerative colitis (UC) and have been associated with tumor progression. We have previously shown that UC patient biopsies and colorectal adenomas overexpress toll-like recept… Continue reading →

Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) is one of the most commonly used probiotics that has been shown to improve the mucosal immune response and protect against pathogens permeation. Few studies suggested that LA may have beneficial effect on intestinal tight… Continue reading →

The integrity of tight junctions is an important part of gastrointestinal health, as they are key to maintaining the intestinal barrier. In Ulcerative Colitis (UC), the intestinal barrier is compromised, leading to increased permeability for bacteria a… Continue reading →

Deregulation of intestinal microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported in adult and, in the last years, also in pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). We performed a literature search and chose 4 miRNAs from five relevant studies as candidates for a… Continue reading →

Intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction is considered as a risk factor in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease (CD), and since there is no FDA approved therapy available, there is a need for identifying a relevant model to study and test therapies t… Continue reading →