Understanding the role of the intestinal epithelium in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease is a multifactorial disease, with more than 6.8million cases reported worldwide. It is characterised by inflammation occurring in the gastrointestinal tract, where there are currently no cures available. This study utilised patient biopsy samples to derive 3D intestinal cell cultures to investigate differences in intestinal epithelial stem cells. Bacteria was also isolated from these biopsy samples leading to identification of bacterial candidates associated with control or inflammatory bowel disease cases. Bacteria were introduced to the intestinal cultures to determine the impact of bacterial-mediated processes on inflammation and stem cell function in inflammatory bowel disease.