Lay Summary

Proposal No.  IBD-0137R
Principal Investigator:  Ellen C. Ebert, M.D.
Applicant Organization:  University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (New Brunswick, U.S.A.)
Project Title:  The role of human tropomyosin 5 in the destruction of intestinal epithelial cells in ulcerative colitis: clinical implications
Period of Award:  March 1, 2005 – August 31, 2007

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is due to an immune response damaging the lining of the bowel (called the epithelium).  How this damage takes place is unknown.  Preliminary studies show that an antibody in the blood of patients with UC binds and kills epithelial cells.  It is directed against a cytoskeletal protein called tropomyosin 5, found on the surface of normal epithelial cells.  We plan to confirm that these cytotoxic autoantibodies are specific to UC.  In addition, we will determine whether measuring this cytotoxic activity and the presence of antibodies may be a useful way of determining whether patients presenting with colitis have UC. A unique therapy will be developed by raising antibodies that block this cytotoxic action.  This novel approach will lead to the development of peptide-specific diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for UC.