«Chronic
inflammation of the
intestine is thought to be caused by abnormal interactions between gut microbes, intestinal epithelial cells and the immune system, but so
far it has been impossible to determine how each of these factors contribute to the development of intestinal bowel disease,» said Hyun Jung Kim, Ph.D., former Wyss Technology Development Fellow and first author on the study, speaking about the limitations of conventional
in vitro and animal models of bacterial overgrowth and
inflammation of the
intestines.
Inflammation in the
intestines produces damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) which initiate DNA damage, reduces oxygen flow to tissue and results
in the
further generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and injury.