Study Identifies GPR15-Guided CD8+ T Cells in IBD, Linking Variants to Severe Early-Onset Disease
Updated
Updated · Nature.com · Jun 8
Study Identifies GPR15-Guided CD8+ T Cells in IBD, Linking Variants to Severe Early-Onset Disease
3 articles · Updated · Nature.com · Jun 8
Summary
Nature researchers identified GPR15-guided regulatory CD8+ T cells in the intestinal lining that suppress inflammation, pointing to a new mechanism behind inflammatory bowel disease.
Human GPR15 gene variants caused defective homing of those cells and were associated with severe early-onset IBD, while sporadic IBD patients also showed reduced levels in intestinal mucosa.
Mouse experiments showed GPR15 deficiency blocked the cells from reaching the colon, increased inflammatory macrophage buildup and made animals more susceptible to colitis.
The CD8+ T cells appear to restrain disease by killing damage-activated macrophages through Fas ligand and TWEAK, suggesting a potential therapeutic target as IBD prevalence rises.