Microbiota - TLR4 - TNFα axis in control of epithelial tissue functions in IBD (A04)

• Subject Area: Clinical Immunology and Allergology ; Immunology
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 375876048

Intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) homeostasis during IBD can be facilitated by increased expression of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and by toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands derived from microbiota. However, the mechanisms of immune system-mediated tissue repair in IBD remain elusive. We have previously found that anti-TNF-α therapy induced IEC restitution is mediated by IL 22-driven IEC proliferation. Next, we revealed that antibiotic-induced changes in microbiota distinctly contribute to the restoration of the epithelial barrier via a TLR4-dependent mechanism. Thus, we aim to dissect the significance of the microbiota-TLR4-TNFα axis for IEC layer restoration during IBD.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 241: Immune-Epithelial Communication in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Project Head: Dr. Andrey A. Kruglov