This challenge project is based on (a) our pioneering work on IRGM as an autophagy factor 1, and (b) the genetic linkage recognition 2 of the role of autophagy and IRGM in Crohn's disease. The main objective is two-fold: (I) to delineate the role of autophagy in Crohn's disease etiology and pathogenesis, and (II) to determine specifically the mechanism of IRGM isoform action at the cellular level. This challenge project will in two years: (a) move forward the entire field of autophagy in immunity, infectious disease, and chronic inflammatory illnesses, with a special emphasis on mucosal immunity and inflammation of the gut, and (b) close a specific knowledge gap on how autophagy genetic polymorphisms in human populations predispose to the prevalent form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) known as Crohn's disease. The proposed relationships can and will be tested in 2 years. At the end of this grant we will have (i) a whole new view understanding of how autophagy works in mucosal immunity in association with IBD, and (ii) very specific knowledge regarding what role IRGM plays in Crohn's disease. Not only will the results of this project improve our understanding of the role of autophagy in mucosal immunity and IBD, but a compelling case will be built for the repurposing of the safe drug rapamycin for clinical trials in Crohn's disease. 1 Singh, S.B., Davis, A.S., Taylor, G.A. &Deretic, V. Human IRGM induces autophagy to eliminate intracellular mycobacteria. Science 313, 1438-1441 (2006). 2 Parkes, M. et al. Sequence variants in the autophagy gene IRGM and multiple other replicating loci contribute to Crohn's disease susceptibility. Nat Genet 39, 830-832 (2007)

Public Health Relevance

In the US, 500,000 people are suffering from Crohn's disease, a debilitating chronic inflammatory illness of the intestine that often requires surgery due to intestinal obstruction. We had been studying a gene called IRGM before it was linked through genetic studies with Crohn's disease. We discovered that this gene controls a process called autophagy that acts to cleanse the interior of all cells in our body, including those of the gut, and rids them of festering intracellular bacteria and inflammatory microbial products. In this project, we will determine how mutations in the IRGM gene in patients with Crohn's disease affect autophagy, and how this leads to inflammation of the intestine and progressive tissue pathology and destruction. We will be able to decipher this in a 2 year time period by studying blood cells and surgical resection tissues from the gut of Crohn's disease patients and analyzing IRGM function in autophagy in these specimens. As a final product two years from now, based on the knowledge acquired through this work, doctors will be able to begin clinical trials with currently existing FDA approved drugs to increase or decrease autophagy in patients, and help cure those afflicted by Crohn's disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
NIH Challenge Grants and Partnerships Program (RC1)
Project #
1RC1AI086845-01
Application #
7834330
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IMM-E (58))
Program Officer
Rothermel, Annette L
Project Start
2009-09-26
Project End
2011-08-31
Budget Start
2009-09-26
Budget End
2010-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$500,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
829868723
City
Albuquerque
State
NM
Country
United States
Zip Code
87131
Jiang, Shanya; Dupont, Nicolas; Castillo, Eliseo F et al. (2013) Secretory versus degradative autophagy: unconventional secretion of inflammatory mediators. J Innate Immun 5:471-9
Deretic, Vojo (2012) Autophagy: an emerging immunological paradigm. J Immunol 189:15-20
Deretic, Vojo (2012) Autophagy as an innate immunity paradigm: expanding the scope and repertoire of pattern recognition receptors. Curr Opin Immunol 24:21-31
Pilli, Manohar; Arko-Mensah, John; Ponpuak, Marisa et al. (2012) TBK-1 promotes autophagy-mediated antimicrobial defense by controlling autophagosome maturation. Immunity 37:223-34
Deretic, Vojo; Jiang, Shanya; Dupont, Nicolas (2012) Autophagy intersections with conventional and unconventional secretion in tissue development, remodeling and inflammation. Trends Cell Biol 22:397-406
Deretic, Vojo (2011) Autophagy in immunity and cell-autonomous defense against intracellular microbes. Immunol Rev 240:92-104
Ponpuak, Marisa; Deretic, Vojo (2011) Autophagy and p62/sequestosome 1 generate neo-antimicrobial peptides (cryptides) from cytosolic proteins. Autophagy 7:336-7
Deretic, Vojo (2011) Thematic issue on how autophagosomes find their targets. Autophagy 7:257-9
Dupont, Nicolas; Jiang, Shanya; Pilli, Manohar et al. (2011) Autophagy-based unconventional secretory pathway for extracellular delivery of IL-1?. EMBO J 30:4701-11
Deretic, Vojo (2010) Autophagy in infection. Curr Opin Cell Biol 22:252-62

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