Lay Summary

Proposal No.   IBD-0092R
Principal Investigator:  Konstantinos Papadakis, M.D.
Applicant Organization:   Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.)
Project Title:  Phenotypic and functional characterization of CCR9+ T lymphocytes in small intestinal Crohn’s disease
Period of Award:  April 1, 2004 – December 31, 2005

We have recently identified a unique mechanism that immune cells called T lymphocytes utilize in order to migrate into the small intestine versus colon.  The T lymphocytes that migrate to the small intestine express the chemokine receptor called CCR9, which interacts with the chemokine CCL25 expressed selectively in the small intestine.  CCR9 has been utilized to distinguish T lymphocytes involved in small intestinal inflammatory processes.  Therefore, the studies proposed in this application will help to determine the functional aspects of the CCR9⁺ T lymphocytes in small intestinal inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease.  The results from these studies may provide the rational for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of human Crohn’s disease.