title: Therapeutic approaches to chronic intestinal inflammation by specific targeting of mucosal IL-7/IL-7R signal pathway.
abstract: Inflammatory bowel disease is thought to result from inappropriate activation of mucosal immune responses. Intestinal epithelial cells produce interleukin (IL)-7 that serves as a regulatory factor for IL-7 receptor (IL-7R)(+) mucosal lymphocytes. The pivotal role of mucosal IL-7/IL-7R dependent signals in the activation of mucosal immune responses that lead to the development of chronic intestinal inflammation are demonstrated. Therapeutic approaches targeting IL-7/IL-7R signal pathway may be feasible in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. mamoru.gast@tmd.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Motomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohoka
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000503:physiopathology; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015851:Interleukin-7; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7