A major research directive of my laboratory employs enteric
pathogens to understand the disease pathophysiology underlying
both acute and chronic diseases of the intestinal tract, known
as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Inflammatory bowel
diseases, namely Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are
typically characterized by an abnormal response by the body's
immune system, which under normal circumstances protects the
body from infection. In people with IBD, however, the immune
system reacts inappropriately, mistaking food, bacteria, and
other materials in the intestine for foreign or invading
substances. As a result, the body “launches an attack” and sends
white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they
produce chronic inflammation. These cells then generate harmful
products that ultimately lead to ulcerations and bowel injury,
which lead to the clinical manifestations of the disease. We use
the enteric pathogens Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella
flexneri to understand a fundamental que