Body’s own protein keeps gut inflammation in check
Chronic gut inflammation affects millions of people and is closely linked to accelerated aging. Researchers have now found that connective tissue cells in the gut wall actively dampen inflammation through a protein that also regulates metabolism.
In inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the immune system becomes chronically dysregulated. The result is damage to the gut wall and a heightened risk of complications. Persistent gut inflammation also accelerates biological aging processes, though the precise interplay is still being studied.
Fibroblasts as an anti-inflammatory brake
Fibroblasts are connective tissue cells that were long viewed primarily as structural support cells in organs. New research, published in Science, shows that in the gut they play an active immunological role. The study demonstrates that fibroblasts use the protein IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) to keep a group of immune cells, innate lymphoid cells (white blood cells that respond rapidly to tissue damage without requiring prior antibody memory), under control. Without that IGF1-mediated regulation, the immune cells became overactive, causing more severe gut inflammation in mouse models.
That IGF1 plays a role in metabolic regulation and aging has been known for some time. In the gut immune system it appears to serve an additional function as an anti-inflammatory brake. The researchers also observed this mechanism in human gut tissue, which strengthens the clinical relevance. Whether therapies targeting IGF1 signalling could effectively reduce gut inflammation in people has not yet been established.
Broader relevance for aging
Chronic low-grade inflammation (sometimes called inflammaging) is considered one of the key drivers of aging. The gut plays a central role, because a compromised gut barrier can allow inflammatory signals to leak into the bloodstream. Identifying a local dampening mechanism in the gut wall, driven by fibroblasts and IGF1, adds a piece to the puzzle of how the body tries to contain gut inflammation.
Search terms to explore further: IGF1 gut inflammation regulation | innate lymphoid cells fibroblast interaction | inflammaging intestinal barrier