Lay Summary

Proposal No.  IBD-0002
Principal Investigator:  Matthew B. Grisham, Ph.D.
Applicant Organization:  Louisiana State University (Shreveport, U.S.A.)
Project Title:  Role of the collagen-binding integrin alpha 1, beta 1 in an immune-based model of chronic colitis
Period of Award:  March 1, 2002 - February 29, 2004

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are known to be associated with a large influx of white blood cells (leukocytes) into the intestinal and/or colonic tissue.  These leukocytes are thought to be responsible for producing diarrhea, rectal bleeding, cramping, abdominal pain and fever that is observed in patients with active IBD.  For these cells to invade the tissue, they must leave the blood stream and enter the intestinal tissue using specific adhesion proteins.  Once in the tissue, these cells bind to the proteins that hold the tissue together and activate the white cells to produce products that have deleterious effects on the gut.

The purpose of this proposal is to understand the interactions between the invading white cells and the surrounding gut tissue in animals with chronic colitis.  Understanding the importance of the surrounding gut tissue in the activation of the invading cells may provide new approaches to the treatment of IBD.