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NIDDK awards $1.9 million to study protein’s role in IBD, colon cancer
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Researchers from the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center will study how NHE8, a protein that absorbs sodium in the gut, contributes to the development of inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer and the stability of the gut microbiome, according to a press release.
With the support of a 5-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, researchers will examine the role NHE8 plays in goblet cell function, changes in the gut microbiome, hyperproliferation of epithelial cells and the development of colorectal cancer.
“Recently, our team discovered novel roles of NHE8, previously thought to be involved only in sodium absorption,” Fayez K. Ghishan, MD, director of the Steele Children’s Research Center and professor and head of the department of pediatrics at University of Arizona College of Medicine, said in the release. “It turns out that when we ‘knock out’ — that is, delete the function of NHE8 — you have ‘goblet cell dysfunction,’ changes in the microbiota, and the hyper-proliferation of epithelial cells, which leads to the development of colon cancer.”
Previously, the researchers found that NHE8 is also expressed in the goblet cells that secrete mucus in the GI tract. By removing NHE8, goblet cells produced less mucin, which reduces the protective barrier of mucus and allows the bacteria in the space inside the intestines to get closer to the intestinal lining, producing inflammation that can potentially cause diseases like ulcerative colitis, Ghishan explained. Additionally, prior examination of tissue samples from colon cancer patients showed that NHE8 is not present, suggesting that removing the protein contributes to the development of polyps and colon cancer, Ghishan added. The inhabitation of NHE8 also alters the microbiome in the gut, disturbing its balance, which can cause IBD and other GI disorders.
“In addition to possibly discovering insights into a mechanism of colon cancer development, our findings about how NHE8 impacts goblet cell function and microbiota homeostasis may lead to novel treatments for IBD and other inflammation problems of the gut,” Ghishan said.
Disclosures: Healio Gastroenterology was unable to confirm any relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.