Event Description
Dr. Anna Ramos, MD
Title: cGAS is a Key Regulator of Mitochondrial Dynamics in the Intestinal Epithelium during Inflammation
Disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier is a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease. Dysregulation of normal intestinal epithelial homeostasis is driven, in part, by self-recognition of free intracellular DNA by pattern-recognition receptors. Our lab has demonstrated that activation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), a cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptor that senses double-stranded DNA from endogenous and exogenous sources, is protective in the setting of acute intestinal inflammation, preventing intestinal epithelial cell death via the upregulation of autophagy. To further understand the importance of cGAS in the pathogenesis of IBD, our lab performed RNA sequencing of the intestinal epithelium of cGAS KO mice and found significant downregulation of mitochondrial respiratory pathways. Maintenance of the epithelial barrier is an energy-dependent process that relies on mitochondrial health and function, but the relationship between cGAS and mitochondrial heath in the intestinal epithelium is unknown. Our research focuses on the role of cGAS in mitochondrial biogenesis, autophagy, and respiration in the intestinal epithelium in the setting of acute inflammation.
Mentors: Kevin Mollen, MD & Sidrah Khan, MD
Dr. Nazih Bizri, MD
Title: The Role of cGAS in Colitis-Associated Cancer
Although inflammation-associated carcinogenesis is a well-accepted concept and is often observed within the gastrointestinal tract, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We have demonstrated cGAS to play a crucial role in intestinal inflammation via upregulation of autophagy. In this project we plan to study the relationship of cGAS and autophagy in colitis-associated colorectal cancers.
Mentor: Sidrah Khan, MD
Location and Address
Virtual via Teams