Protein puzzle
A small step towards understanding Crohn's and colitis
By Alyson Kenward, SPARK writer
Andy Skinn knows that research often involves fitting a multitude of variables together to solve a puzzle. So, although his work on the movement of a protein in infected cells linked to inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn鈥檚 and ulcerative colitis, is very specialized, it fits within a larger framework of study.
鈥淢y project may be a small piece of a large puzzle, but it is a contribution,鈥?says the master鈥檚 student studying with the U of C鈥檚 Mucosal Inflammation Research Group. 鈥淪cience takes a long time.鈥?/FONT>
Skinn is studying the CFTR protein. It acts as a channel for chloride ions 鈥?components of salts in the body 鈥?to move in and out of cells that line the bowel tract.
鈥淚n healthy people, the cell lining of the bowel, known as the epithelium, acts as a defensive barrier to prevent infections,鈥?says Skinn.
If infection is eminent, the CFTR protein moves to the cell membrane and secretes chloride from the cells. When this happens, water follows, flowing out of the cells and essentially flushing away agents that could cause infection.
However, if the secretion of chloride ions is compromised, the flushing process is disturbed, which can result in the development of inflammatory diseases, says Skinn.
While the research group is looking at various parts of this process, Skinn is particularly interested in how the CFTR protein moves through the cell to the membrane to secrete chloride ions.
鈥淥ther group members are looking at what activates or inhibits the protein鈥檚 secretory functions,鈥?says Skinn, 鈥渂ut I鈥檓 looking at why and how the protein moves in response to these stimulants.鈥?/FONT>
Although not a clinical research study, Skinn is using a line of human colon cells to observe the protein鈥檚 movement. By viewing the cells from many different angles with microscopes, he hopes to visualize the movement upon activation or inhibition.
Skinn has also hypothesized that nitric oxide inhibits the movement of the CFTR protein within the cell, thereby reducing chloride secretion and the defensive capabilities of the cell.
鈥淚 am using this hypothesis as a model to investigate the protein鈥檚 trafficking,鈥?he says. 鈥淗owever, the knowledge of how the protein moves will be used by other researchers when studying other activating and inhibiting chemicals.鈥?/FONT>
Overall, Skinn believes his research will help better understand the mechanism of diseases involving secretory dysfunction, and in particular, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn鈥檚 and ulcerative colitis. Crohn鈥檚 is an inflammatory disease that can infect any part of the digestive tract, whereas colitis is localized to the mucous membrane of the colon or rectum.
Although understanding chloride ion secretion is only a small part of understanding these diseases (and his research is just a small part of understanding chloride secretion), Skinn is excited about learning and contributing to even a small part to the process of science.
鈥淢y work is starting to come together now,鈥?he says, 鈥渁nd it feels good to have this role.鈥?/FONT>
Alyson Kenward is a graduate student in chemistry and SPARK writer (Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge).
From: http://www.ucalgary.ca/unicomm/research/
This article caught my eye for a few reasons, one of which is the use of homeopathic remedies in the treatment of these disorders and diseases, specifically "Tissue Salts" as they are called - at least one or two of them relate to the observations in this article. RM
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