Gut mucosal DAMPs in IBD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation into the inflammatory mechanisms of gut damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IRAS ID
246028
Contact name
Gwo-tzer Ho
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Glasgow
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
Our study is focused on the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD is a common (affecting approximately 300 000 individuals in UK) chronic relapsing inflammatory condition affecting the gastrointestinal tract. People with IBD often cannot control their bowels and get abdominal pain, diarrhoea and extreme tiredness. They can become very unwell with malnutrition and complications such as infections and gut perforation. Their quality of life is badly affected - particularly mental well-being and ability to work. Younger people find it harder to grow and progress socially and in education.
When tissue gets injured (such as a skin cut), it becomes inflamed - but then it normally heals. In IBD, we do not fully understand why the bowel remains continuously inflamed. Recently, we found a clue to suggest that our own cells contain 'alarm or danger signals' also called damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that activate inflammation when they are release or leak out from cells during tissue damage. In patients with IBD, we found high levels of DAMPs in the blood and stools.
In this study, we are studying how DAMPs are released (From what type of cells? Which type of DAMPs); and how they activate inflammation (By what pathway and how?). Here, we aim to obtain samples of affected IBD gut together with blood and stool samples in individuals with IBD (both UC and CD) and those without IBD. We are working towards developing treatments that block the actions of DAMPs; and using DAMPs as biomarkers that will enable us to identify patients that will benefit most from our potential future treatments.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
18/ES/0090
Date of REC Opinion
14 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion