Deleting XBP1 gene from the epithelium of mice led to intestinal inflammation, according to study in Cell.
A team of scientists have discovered that the XBP1 gene is a risk factor for developing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The investigators created a mouse model in which they deleted XBP1within the epithelium. They found that the mice spontaneously developed an intestinal inflammation that resembled IBD. The lack of the XBP1 gene disabled the normal communication between intestinal epithelial cells and gut bacteria, resulting in dysfunctional immune response and disease, the researchers explain.
The researchers then reportedly demonstrated that alterations in this gene in the intestinal-lining cells represent risk factors for development of Crohn’s and colitis.
The study was conducted by scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and institutes in Germany, The Netherlands, and Austria. Results appear in the September 5 issue of Cell.
