Researchers have discovered a new biological pathway that is a principal driver of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and related conditions, and which can be targeted using existing drugs.
About 5% of the world’s population, and one in ten people in the UK, are currently affected by an autoimmune disease, such as IBD, the umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Despite increasing prevalence, current treatments do not work in every patient and attempts to develop new drugs often fail due to our incomplete understanding of what causes IBD.
In research published in Nature , scientists journeyed into a ‘gene desert’ – an area of DNA that doesn’t code for proteins – which has previously been linked to IBD and several other autoimmune diseases.
They found that this gene desert contains an ‘enhancer’, a section of DNA that is like a volume dial for nearby genes, able to crank up the amount of proteins they make. The team discovered that this particular enhancer was only active in macrophages, a type of immune cell known to be important in IBD, and boosted a gene called ETS2, with higher levels correlating with a higher risk of disease.
Using genetic editing, the scientists showed that ETS2 was essential for almost all inflammatory functions in macrophages, including several that directly contribute to tissue damage in IBD. Strikingly, simply increasing the amount of ETS2 in resting macrophages turned them into inflammatory cells that closely resembled those from IBD patients.
The team also discovered that many other genes previously linked to IBD are part of the ETS2 pathway, providing further evidence that it is a major cause of IBD.
Specific drugs that block ETS2 don’t exist, so the team searched for drugs that might indirectly reduce its activity. They found that MEK inhibitors, drugs already prescribed for other non-inflammatory conditions, were predicted to switch off the inflammatory effects of ETS2.
The researchers then put this to the test, and discovered that these drugs not only reduced inflammation in macrophages, but also in gut samples from patients with IBD.
As MEK inhibitors can have side effects in other organs, the researchers are now working with LifeArc to find ways to deliver MEK inhibitors directly to macrophages.
A Group Leader, who led the research, said: “IBD usually develops in young people and can cause severe symptoms that disrupt education, relationships, family life and employment. Better treatments are urgently needed.
“Using genetics as a starting point, we’ve uncovered a pathway that appears to play a major role in IBD and other inflammatory diseases. Excitingly, we’ve shown that this can be targeted therapeutically, and we’re now working on how to ensure this approach is safe and effective for treating people in the future."
A co- first author said: “IBD and other autoimmune conditions are really complex, with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors, so to find one of the central pathways, and show how this can be switched off with an existing drug, is a massive step forwards.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07501-1
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Fa-disease-associated&filter=22
Major cause of inflammatory bowel disease discovered
- 253 views
- Added
Latest News
Regular snoring could be ba…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Jun
Circadian rhythm drives the…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Jun
Six distinct types of depre…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Jun
Key role of a growth factor…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Jun
Bidirectional BCI functiona…
By newseditor
Posted 19 Jun
Other Top Stories
A toxic substance found in Staph bacteria stimulates tissue regener…
Read more
Will SARS-CoV-2 become endemic?
Read more
Evaluation of three coronavirus interactions with host targets
Read more
Fats provide immunity against bacteria
Read more
New blood test predicts which COVID-19 patients will develop severe…
Read more
Protocols
Deciphering spatial domains…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Jun
High-throughput volumetric…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Jun
Bioengineered human colon o…
By newseditor
Posted 14 Jun
Development of an efficient…
By newseditor
Posted 12 Jun
A co-culture system of macr…
By newseditor
Posted 10 Jun
Publications
Social Isolation and Loneli…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Jun
Regular snoring is associat…
By newseditor
Posted 24 Jun
Programmed cell death: NINJ…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Jun
Circadian-clock-controlled…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Jun
Personalized brain circuit…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Jun
Presentations
Myelin plasticity in the ve…
By newseditor
Posted 10 Jun
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar