The Microbial Impact on Intestinal Fibrosis and the Associated Immune Microenvironment in Crohn's Disease

More than 50% of CD patients develop a penetrating disease or stenosis due to fibrostenosis, which in most cases requires surgery, as no effective therapies have yet been found. The disease leads to both structural and functional alterations of the intestinal mucosa. Although the functional alteration of the mucosa is mainly caused by the continuous tissue damage that occurs during the chronic inflammation associated with CD, recent studies have suggested that the fibrosis associated with CD may be driven by triggering factors independent of inflammation, such as dysbiosis of the microbiota. Our proposal aims to establish the causal link between gut dysbiosis and fibrosis by studying the role of key bacterial proteins present in fibrotic gut tissue. This project will ultimately offer new molecular targets for the development of possible tailor-made antifibrotic treatments, with likely benefits for healthcare, as it will facilitate the management of severe CD, avoiding surgery and reducing SSN costs.