Grant: Project Grant

The human gut is normally filled with 'good' bacteria that help us digest our food. They also help defend us from 'bad' bacteria that cause food poisoning. It is important that our immune system does not attack these 'good' bacteria, since this would lead to chronic intestinal inflammation, pain and diarrhea. However it is also important that our bodies can fight off any invading 'bad' bacteria, in the event they defeat our good bacteria and try to escape our intestines and cause disease. We are studying the cells that line our guts, since we believe they are key to our body's ability to properly decide when our intestines are under threat by dangerous bacteria. We have identified a protein, called SIGIRR that helps these cells make the correct decisions, since if it is missing, the intestine becomes very aggressive, attacking bacteria even when the threat of infection is low, and actually increasing the risk of developing severe food poisoning. By studying SIGIRR, we hope to develop new ways to reduce the risk of gut infections, as well as stop the chronic gut inflammation seen in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.