Cellular mechanisms linking the intestine to inflammation involving non-intestinal organs

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R21 · $231,000 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mechanisms driving inflammation, and the possibilities for therapeutic intervention, have expanded dramatically since the discovery that the intestine is linked to inflammatory diseases involving non-intestinal organs. The processes and cell types underpinning this inter-organ link are poorly understood, even for diseases which are coincident with intestinal inflammation. One prominent disease with clear links to intestinal inflammation is primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), an immune-mediated disease hallmarked by liver fibrosis. There is no therapy that prevents PSC from getting worse, and liver transplant is the only cure—although sometimes, PSC can return even after liver transplant. The driving forces behind PSC-linked liver fibrosis are thought to originate in the intestine and thus, understanding the inflammatory processes that link intestinal inflammation with liver fibrosis would be a breakthrough for this disease. Moreover, these fundamental discoveries would shine new light into processes that link the intestine to inflammation involving non-intestinal organs, an area that holds potential for transformative therapeutics. This project will unlock some of this potential by dissecting cellular mechanisms linking intestinal inflammation with liver fibrosis in a novel mouse model where these diseases occur concomitantly. These studies will offer specific cell types for targeted approaches to treat diseases linked to the intestine, including PSC-linked liver fibrosis, an unstoppable disease that has no cure.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10811042
Project number
1R21AI168714-01A1
Recipient
UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Principal Investigator
Gianna Elena Hammer
Activity code
R21
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$231,000
Award type
1
Project period
2023-11-16 → 2025-10-31