New Genetic Discovery at the University of Cincinnati

Scientists at the Cincinnati Cancer Center and the University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute have found two genes linked to inflammatory bowel disease, a condition that’s often a precursor to cancer.

UC researcher Susan Waltz and her colleagues hope this new understanding of the genes and their associated proteins could “reveal an important new target” for treating Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Both Crohn’s and colitis are among a group of chronic disorders of the intestine collectively called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD, which results in painful and debilitating complications for over 1.4 million Americans, can be treated but currently can’t be cured.

Waltz, a professor in UC’s cancer biology department, and scientists in her lab made what’s believed to be the first study to document the role of the two genes linked to the development and progression of IBD. One gene is the Ron receptor, a cell surface protein often found in certain cancers; the other is its genetic growth factor, responsible for stimulating cell growth that occurs in the development and progression of IBD.

The results were published this week in the advance online edition of the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.

In the study, Waltz and Rishikesh Kulkarni, a postdoctoral fellow in UC’s department of cancer biology, studied animals with colitis, a swelling of the large intestine or colon that’s a potentially pre-cancerous condition. One group of the study animals had their Ron genes made inoperative or “knocked out;” the other group had the gene.

“We found that genetic loss of Ron led to aggressive inflammation and damage to the colon of (animals) with IBD,” Waltz said in a news release.

Loss of Ron also led to significantly reduced body weight and a dramatic reduction in colon tissue cell growth. The animals without the Ron gene also had increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokine (proteins important in cell signaling), which was associated with changes in key signaling pathways that regulate IBD.

In addition, the researchers found the genes are linked to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) that are strongly associated with IBD. “Our studies suggest that these SNPs may reduce” the function of the genes and lead to chronic intestinal inflammation and damage, Waltz said.

The study was funded in part by Public Health Services, a National Institutes of Health grant, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Heart Association’s Great Rivers Affiliates.

Interesting info, thanks!
q

I posted this the other day as well but then I read the darn study - The problem is the way the linked article is written up.

Even with the knockout mice - i.e. loss of function of the RON receptor it doesn't all of a sudden cause Colitis symptoms, only slightly aggravates existing symptoms which is more so due to the loss of the pathway itself. They still needed to feed the mice DDS solution to get them to even present Colitis like symptoms.