Newly Discovered 'Backup' Immune System Could Help Doctors Improve Crohn's Treatment
The research's findings
The new secondary pathway was discovered in a study of mice. Mice with a normal system were compared to mice bread with the same genetic mutation found in Crohn’s patients, a mutation of the NOD2 and ATG16L1 cells, which limit the body’s ability to clean out waste and properly regulate inflammation production.
Both sets of mice were exposed to salmonella, a foodborne pathogen that could be found in spoiled meat, poultry, or eggs. The group of Crohn’s mice, expectantly, struggled to kill the bacteria. But, researches also discovered a secondary “backup” pathway was also blocked up and unable to kill the bacteria in the same way it functioned in the mice without Crohn’s.