The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded a $163,825 Project Grant under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to The Regents of the University of Colorado, doing business as University of Colorado-Denver. The grant supports a project titled "The Role of AXL Signaling in Intestinal Fibrosis" with the goal of understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the AXL signaling pathway contributes to intestinal fibrosis, a common complication of Crohn's disease. The research aims to unravel how epithelial-stromal crosstalk mediated by the AXL ligand GAS6 responds to the inflammatory intestinal microenvironment and ultimately leads to fibrosis. The 5-year project is expected to be completed by November 2029 and will help advance the development of novel medical therapies targeting the AXL signaling pathway to treat intestinal fibrosis.