Enzyme Involved In Inflammatory Bowel Disease Discovered At Penn State College Of Medicine
Comment: The enzyme, coded for by the MEP1A gene, is a zinc-containing metalloprotease called meprin, and is abundant in the intestine. A protease is an enzyme that breaks down proteins in the body. he researchers concluded that a particular defect in the MEP1A gene is an indicator of vulnerability to IBD, particularly ulcerative colitis. The association of the meprin gene with Crohn’s disease remains to be characterised but disruption of the meprin gene affects the severity of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. There’s the possibility of predicting who will be susceptible to IBD, and diagnosing the disease with this information. Possibly increasing meprin production, or replacing it with an equivalent proteolytic enzyme, provides therapeutic possibilities.
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Keywords:bowel disease, elceratice colitis, IBD, inflammatory, proteolytic enzyme
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The immune system is prone to the same grave misfortunes as any defense system handling weapons: collateral damage that comes with the destruction of the enemy on one’s own territory and friendly fire due to mistaken identity. Whereas the collateral damage is the price we pay for clearance of infections, autoimmunity is a pathological process. Nevertheless, the effector mechanisms involved in both processes are the same. Whether environment can be a cause, a trigger or an amplifier of an autoimmune disease are questions that are being intensively investigated.
