Grant: Operating Grant

Nod proteins are host factors that detect bacterial invasion at the level of the gastrointestinal tract. In certain cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially in Crohn's disease, Nod proteins are dysfunctional. In normal conditions, Nods trigger an immune response in the mucosal lining of the intestine following bacterial detection in order to protect the host from severe infection. Our interest in this grant proposal is to understand the mechanisms that orchestrate this immune reaction driven by Nod proteins and how inefficient responses might impact on the development of IBD.