Investigating the causes of Crohn's Disease: the NOD2 mutation

Researchers at UCSD (University of California, San Diego) have been investigating the role of a mutation called NOD2 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The mutation had previously been identified as being the cause of the disease in a large percentage of those affected. The mechanism by which it acted was unknown. This new research has identified the activation of interleukin-1Beta (IL-1ß), an inflammatory protein, by the NOD2 mutation. The role of NOD2 under normal circumstances is to sense bacterial infections from inside the cell. It activates another protein, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB), which is part of the immune response to infection. Mice with the mutation had unusually high levels of both proteins.

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