New Cause of Chronic Inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis Discovered

New cause of chronic inflammation in ulcerative colitis discovered

It is estimated that more than 5 million people worldwide suffer from ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammation of the colon that often progresses in stages whose causes have not yet been fully investigated. A new international study with the participation of researchers from the Medical University of Graz and the University of Graz has now yielded groundbreaking findings regarding the development of this disease.

Single-Cell Insights Reveal Microscopic Colitis Details

In a groundbreaking study poised to revolutionize our understanding of gastrointestinal disorders, researchers have employed cutting-edge single-cell transcriptomic technologies to unravel the molecular underpinnings of microscopic colitis—a condition that has long puzzled clinicians due to its subtle histological presentation and elusive pathogenesis. Published in Nature Communications, this comprehensive single-cell profiling marks a significa…

JCI TMEM219 signaling promotes intestinal stem cell death and exacerbates colitis

Mechanisms by which mucosal regeneration is abrogated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are still under investigation, and a role for an intestinal stem cell (ISC) defect is now emerging. Herein, we report an abnormal ISC death that occurs in Crohn’s disease, which exacerbates colitis, limits ISC-dependent mucosal repair, and is controlled through the death factor Transmembrane protein 219 (TMEM219). Large alterations in TMEM219 expression wer…