Exploring the role of a novel mast cell activation pathway in IBD and IBS models.

Chronic abdominal pain is one of the most debilitating and untreatable symptoms in patients suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The last years it has become clear that aberrant gut mast cell functioning plays an important role in the pathophysiology of chronic abdominal pain, but it currently remains unclear which triggers and membrane receptors are involved in driving this aberrant mast cell functioning. Therefore, from a therapeutic point of view, it is crucial to identify and characterize these triggers and membrane receptors. In this project we will focus on a newly discovered mast cell activation pathway and evaluate its role in mast cells of IBD and IBS mouse models. In this way, we want to obtain first insights into the role of this pathway as a possible new driver of aberrant mast cell functioning in IBD and IBS mouse models, which would generate a novel paradigm in IBD and IBS research and forms a solid foundation for further studies into the therapeutic potential of this pathway in these conditions.

Keywords:MAS-RELATED G PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTOR, CHRONIC ABDOMINAL PAIN, MAST CELLS

Disciplines:Gastro-enterology, Innate immunity, Cell signalling, Pathophysiology