Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) published a study revealing the mechanism responsible for the decline in intestinal function in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) caused by fine particulate matter (PM10).
Fine particulate matter, commonly called fine dust, is a group 1 carcinogen known to cause various diseases such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and reproductive abnormalities.
While fine dust ingested through food is diluted by saliva and digestive juices, studies have shown that some of it is absorbed into the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. It then spreads through the blood to the entire body, causing gastrointestinal disorders such as IBD and intestinal microbiome imbalance.
Although it is known to be more harmful to patients with underlying diseases, studies on fine dust are focused on asthma and atopic dermatitis, and almost no studies are exploring the effects of fine dust on IBD, whose prevalence is increasing rapidly.
Consequently, the team, led by Professor Son Mi-young of the Department of Stem Cell Convergence Research Center at KRIBB, used human pluripotent stem cell-derived two-dimensional intestinal epithelial cells and three-dimensional organoids to mimic in vivo cellular diversity and function to study the effects of fine dust on IBD.
The team confirmed that PM10 exposure induced a severe disruption of peptide uptake in the IBD model. As a result, the signaling system of calcium, one of the important signal transmitters in the cell, is disturbed, and the disease worsens due to decreased protein degradation and absorption pathways.
The findings demonstrate that PM10-induced epithelial alterations contribute to the exacerbation of inflammatory disorders caused by the intestine.
“The results of this study are expected to be used as a new target for treating intestinal function decline caused by environmental harmful factors in patients with underlying diseases," said Son.
The results of this research were published in Frontiers in Immunology on Jun. 26.