For Some Crohn's Patients, This Dysfunctional Gene Could Be the Cause

The team then recognized a mechanism where ileal Crohn’s disease appears to be triggered by bile acids when the T-cells do not adapt normally in the way that they should. The researchers used a genetically-altered mouse model in order to witness the function of MDR1 in mice. They discovered that the gene’s expression increased once the T-cells entered the ileum. However, in the mice where the gene could not be activated within the gastrointestinal tract, the T-cells were exposed to bile acids and they suffered from severe oxidative stress. This then caused them to become overactive and trigger Crohn-like inflammation in the mice.