Project Grant R01DK143560

This federal Project Grant award of $2,076,999 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (CFDA 93.847 - Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research) supports research on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Paneth cells and its relationship to inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease. The principal investigator will use a mouse model with Paneth cell-specific deletion of the mitochondrial chaperone protein Prohibitin 1 to investigate how mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species in this cell type contribute to the development of spontaneous ileitis. The project aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which altered Paneth cell subsets associated with mitochondrial defects and increased CD74 expression mediate intestinal inflammation. This 4-year award will provide critical insights into the mitochondrial drivers of Paneth cell abnormalities observed in inflammatory bowel disease patients.