«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.
Scientists taking a close look at
how a dangerous food - borne bacterium invades the
gut have identified a new culprit, a molecule that normally helps hold the intestinal lining and other sheets of
epithelial cells together.