Impact of epithelial dysfunction on neuro-immune crosstalk in IBD (B05)

• Subject Area: Gastroenterology ; Anatomy and Physiology
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 375876048

While the human gut harbors over 100 million neuronal cells, their role in IBD is poorly understood. We revealed an elevated neuronal innervation of inflamed regions of the gut mucosa in IBD and in models with overt damage to intestinal epithelial cells (IEC). Our data indicate the presence of a yet undiscovered regulatory circuit in IBD involving dead epithelial cell mediators, enteric neurons and immune cells, such as innate lymphoid cells. By combining both focused and global experimental approaches, this proposal aims to investigate the effects that specific DAMPs have in the regulation of neuro-immune crosstalk in IBD pathogenesis.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 241: Immune-Epithelial Communication in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Christoph Becker, from 9/2020 until 6/2022; Privatdozent Dr. Matthias Engel, until 8/2020; Dr. Christoph Siegfried Niki Klose, since 7/2022; Jay Patankar, Ph.D., since 9/2020