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Molecular Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2.0

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2024) | Viewed by 5452

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Carolina Serena

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Guest Editor

Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
Interests: adipose stem cells; gut microbiota; inflammatory bowel disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is characterized by chronic, relapsing intestinal inflammation. Although the etiology of IBD remains largely unknown, its formation involves a complex interaction between the genetic, environmental or microbial factors, and subsequent immune responses. A deeper knowledge of the physiopathology of IBD can help researchers to identify new therapeutical approaches with which to cure these diseases.

This Special Issue is particularly interested in collecting research articles, comprehensive reviews, or short communications on the following areas, although submissions dealing with topics additional to those listed are still welcome.

Relationship among gut microbiota, immunology, and adipose stem cells.
Novel insights into the therapeutic aspect of adipose stem cells: implications for future stem cell therapies in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Role of creeping fat in the physiopathology of inflammatory bowel diseases.
Interplay between cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying inflammatory bowel diseases development.
Gut microbiota-derived metabolites in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Immunologic and molecular mechanisms in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Host gene–microbiome interactions: molecular mechanisms in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Molecular and immunologic mechanisms underlying inflammation in inflammatory bowel diseases.

As Volume 1.0 of the Special Issue “Molecular Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases” was successful, we therefore reopened this topic for volume 2.0 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067, IF 6.208, JCR Category Q1). This second Special Issue aims to publish studies which also include new aspects in:

The role of extracellular vesicles in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine in inflammatory bowel diseases.
miRNAs as biomarkers in inflammatory bowel diseases: latest findings regarding their role in diagnosis and prognosis.

All interested researchers are invited to submit review articles or original papers related to the topic of this Special Issue.

Dr. Carolina Serena
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

inflammatory bowel disease
adipose stem cells
gut microbiota
immunologic and molecular mechanisms
therapeutical approaches

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Adipose Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes in a Mouse Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

by Jun Ho Lee, Jan Lötvall and Byong Seung Cho

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16877; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316877 - 28 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1632

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorders that affect the gastrointestinal tract, with the primary subtypes being ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles released by adipose-tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which we, in this manuscript, call “exosomes” (ASC-EXOs), in a mouse model of IBD. We specifically aimed to determine the effectiveness of different treatment protocols and compare the effects with that of anti-IL-12 p40 monoclonal antibody. The addition of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to drinking water induced multiple signs of IBD, including weight loss, soft stool, and bloody feces. ASC-EXOs given by either intraperitoneal (IP) or intravenous (IV) routes resulted in moderate improvement in these signs of IBD. IV ASC-EXOs resulted in significantly reduced body weight loss, improved histopathological scoring, and suppressed the disease activity index (DAI) compared to the IBD control group. Also, a reduction in PCR for pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed. IV ASC treatment resulted in dose-related reduction in IBD signs, including weight loss. An increasing number of injections with ASC-EXOs reduced histopathological scores as well as DAI. Co-administration of ASC-EXOs with anti-IL-12 p40 significantly decreased DAI scores in the ASC-EXO + anti-IL-12 p40 group. In conclusion, ASC-EXOs have potential as a therapeutic agent for IBD, but the route of administration, number of injections, and dosage need to be considered to optimize the effects of ASC-EXO treatment. This study also highlights the potential benefits of combination therapies of ASC-EXOs and anti-IL-12. Our findings pave the way for further studies to unravel the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of ASC-EXOs in IBD treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2.0)

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16 pages, 1620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toll-like Receptors and Cytokine Modulation by Goat Milk Extracellular Vesicles in a Model of Intestinal Inflammation

by Chiara Grazia De Ciucis, Floriana Fruscione, Livia De Paolis, Samanta Mecocci, Susanna Zinellu, Lisa Guardone, Giulia Franzoni, Katia Cappelli and Elisabetta Razzuoli

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 11096; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241311096 - 04 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1566

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanometric spherical structures, enclosed in a lipid bilayer membrane and secreted by multiple cell types under specific physiologic and pathologic conditions. Their complex cargo modulates immune cells within an inflammatory microenvironment. Milk is one of the most promising sources of EVs in terms of massive recovery, and milk extracellular vesicles (mEVs) have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to characterize goat mEVs’ immunomodulating activities on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and related immune genes, including cytokines, using a porcine intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) after the establishment of a pro-inflammatory environment. IPEC-J2 was exposed for 2 h to pro-inflammatory stimuli as a model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), namely LPS for Crohn’s disease (CD) and H₂O₂ for ulcerative colitis (UC); then, cells were treated with goat mEVs for 48 h. RT-qPCR and ELISA data showed that cell exposure to LPS or H₂O₂ caused a pro-inflammatory response, with increased gene expression of CXCL8, TNFA, NOS2 and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the LPS model, the treatment with mEVs after LPS determined the down-regulation of NOS2, MMP9, TLR5, TGFB1, IFNB, IL18 and IL12A gene expressions, as well as lower release of IL-18 in culture supernatants. At the same time, we observed the increased expression of TLR1, TLR2, TLR8 and EBI3. On the contrary, the treatment with mEVs after H₂O₂ exposure, the model of UC, determined the increased expression of MMP9 alongside the decrease in TGFB1, TLR8 and DEFB1, with a lower release of IL-1Ra in culture supernatants. Overall, our data showed that a 48 h treatment with mEVs after a pro-inflammatory stimulus significantly modulated the expression of several TLRs and cytokines in swine intestinal cells, in association with a decreased inflammation. These results further highlight the immunomodulatory potential of these nanosized structures and suggest their potential application in vivo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2.0)

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Review

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20 pages, 392 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Trends in Non-Invasive Methods of Diagnosis and Evaluation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Short Review

by Dan Vălean, Roxana Zaharie, Roman Țaulean, Lia Usatiuc and Florin Zaharie

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(4), 2077; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25042077 - 08 Feb 2024

Viewed by 830

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases are a conglomerate of disorders causing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which have gained a significant increase in prevalence in the 21st century. As they present a challenge in the terms of diagnosis as well as treatment, IBDs can present an overwhelming impact on the individual and can take a toll on healthcare costs. Thus, a quick and precise diagnosis is required in order to prevent the high number of complications that can arise from a late diagnosis as well as a misdiagnosis. Although endoscopy remains the primary method of evaluation for IBD, recent trends have highlighted various non-invasive methods of diagnosis as well as reevaluating previous ones. This review focused on the current non-invasive methods in the diagnosis of IBD, exploring their possible implementation in the near future, with the goal of achieving earlier, feasible, and cheap methods of diagnosis as well as prognosis in IBD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2.0)

18 pages, 1987 KiB

Open AccessReview

Therapeutic Applications of Extracellular Vesicles in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

by Sang Hyun Kim, Bora Keum, Sooun Kwak, Junhyoung Byun, Jae Min Shin and Tae Hoon Kim

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020745 - 06 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 933

Abstract

The treatment landscape for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has undergone substantial advancements with the introduction of biologics. However, a considerable number of patients either show an immediate lack of response or lose responsiveness over time, necessitating the development of innovative and effective treatment approaches. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small lipid bilayer-enclosed structures that facilitate cell-to-cell molecular transfer and are integral to the pathogenesis of IBD. They play pivotal roles in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier and the expulsion of cellular metabolites. The potential use of EVs as drug carriers or therapeutic agents has opened up a plethora of clinical applications. This review investigates the creation and content of EVs, their role in IBD development, and advances in their isolation and analytical techniques. Furthermore, the therapeutic promise they hold for IBD is explored, along with the latest research on their roles as IBD drug delivery systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2.0)

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