Lay Summary

Proposal No. IBD-0221R
Principal Investigator:  Liam O'Mahony, Ph.D.
Applicant Organization:  University College Cork (Ireland)
Project Title:  Building a computation modeling foundation for emerging information for inflammatory bowel disease
Period of Award:  January 7, 2008 – March 6, 2009

We propose a computer simulation to support fundamental research to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The simulation described in this proposal will focus on how the body responds to bacterial danger signals in the gut, in particular we will examine the response of one cell that is part of the first line of defense, the dendritic cell.  We will map the interactions of molecules inside the cell that result in the production of proteins that regulate the response of our immune system to bacteria.  This map will become the blueprint for the computer simulation of these pathways. This simulation is important because the development of some forms of IBD appears to involve a breakdown in the immune response, such that harmless vs. dangerous signals from intestinal bacteria are misinterpreted, and a misplaced, tissue-damaging response is launched.  The proposed simulation will serve as a demonstration of the utility of computer simulation in understanding complex cell behavior and serve as the foundation of an evolving simulation to support research in IBD.