Early-career research(J-PEAKS)

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic intractable diseases accompanied by immune system abnormalities. These diseases repeat cycles of flare-ups and remissions, leading to the progression of intestinal fibrosis. Medical treatments primarily involve anti-TNFα antibody agents, while surgical treatments often involve intestinal resection. However, with a high rate of repeat surgeries, resulting in a significant decline in quality of life (QOL). Moreover, repeated surgeries can lead to short bowel syndrome, making the prevention and treatment of intestinal fibrosis an urgent need.

Mesenchymal cells are deeply involved in the fibrosis of intestinal tissue. A morphological and functional classification of mesenchymal cells, which had previously been considered a heterogeneous group, has been conducted, and new type cells, such as Telocytes and Trophocytes, have been reported.

However, many details of the fibrosis-promoting mechanisms of mesenchymal cells remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the functional changes and interactions of intestinal mesenchymal cells based on analyses of the intestinal stenosis sites in the mucosa of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in order to contribute to disease treatment.

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Yosuke KURASHIMA's Article / News Release / InfoGraphics