Epithelial cells: an immune modulator in the context of inflammatory bowel diseases

• Author / Creator

  Backer, Jody Lynn

• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) result from the nexus of a genetic predisposition, dysregulated immunologic insult against commensal microflora, and an environmental trigger. The intestinal epithelium is a single cell layer that separates a highly active mucosal immune system from a large antigenic load in the intestinal lumen. Innate immune recognition combined with a highly regulated adaptive immune response maintains this tolerance. The intestinal epithelium in collusion with antigen presenting cells primarily modulates this activity. In this thesis, we show that, in response to DNA isolated from bacteria, innate toll like receptor 9 (TLR9) activation in intestinal epithelial cells modulates both arms of the immune system, to regulate intestinal homeostasis, and through this mechanism, Bifidobacteria breve DNA exerts its anti-inflammatory function.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Intestinal epithelial cells
  • TLR9
  • Innate immunity
  • Crohn's disease
  • Ulcerative Colitis

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  MSc.

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R31955

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.