01/08/2023
T cells, a type of immune cell in the gut, fall into two major categories: those that cause inflammation and those that suppress it. One mechanism used by T cells to balance these pro- and anti-inflammatory responses is the opening and closing of ion channels—pores in cell membranes through which ions such as calcium and sodium pass. Stefan Feske, MD, a professor of pathology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, wondered if ion channels could play a role in this balance of pro- and antiinflammatory T cells in mouse models of IBD.
Thanks in part to several grants from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, he has narrowed the list of possible ion channels that regulate this balance of T cells from 600 to about 10. Dr. Feske has demonstrated that blocking these channels results in fewer proinflammatory T cells, which opens up a brand-new way to regulate inflammation in Crohn’s disease, through the use of ion channelblocking drugs.
With preliminary data in hand, Dr. Feske has secured a one-year grant from Takeda pharmaceuticals, which he now hopes to renew or supplement with funding from the NIH.
