Marjolein van Egmond, Jeroen den Dunnen, Manon Wildenberg
and Riekelt Houtkooper
"C-reactive protein: not only a marker, but also a cause of inflammation in Crohn’s Disease through metabolic reprogramming"
The AGEM Matching grant allows us to...
… combine the expertise of four different AG&M laboratories to unravel how C-reactive protein (CRP) contributes to excessive inflammation in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease. CRP is produced in abundance by mesenteric fat in Crohn’s disease patients. Our preliminary data indicate that this CRP breaks the immune tolerance of intestinal immune cells to the microbiome, thereby promoting chronic inflammation. Moreover, our data indicate that this is induced by the activation of a unique metabolic pathway in intestinal immune cells. By unraveling this metabolic pathway, we not only aim to unravel a novel key process in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease, but also to identify new therapeutic targets to suppress chronic inflammation in these patients.
Clara van Karnebeek, Ronald Wanders, Marion Brands and Hans Waterham
“Bird’s Eye View for Gyrate Atrophy”
The AGEM Matching grant allows us to...
... perform translational research on gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GACR), an autosomal recessive disorder of protein metabolism. The close collaborations
between clinicians, laboratory scientists, patients and families catalyzes AGEM funded research to further understand, diagnose and treat this devastating metabolic blindness. To establish the phenotype and natural history, we will establish an (international) patient registry. Biochemically we are unraveling the pathophysiology and potential biomarkers of ornithine δ-aminotransferase (OAT) deficiency, by untargeted metabolomics. Novel therapeutic targets are explored by high-throughput screening of FDA approved drugs, and the development of gene and cell-based therapies in the laboratory of prof Bergen. Our mission is to prevent or delay the devastating vision loss in GACR patients.
