Transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes in the Winnie mouse model of chronic colitis
The Winnie mouse, carrying a missense mutation in the Muc2 gene, is a model for chronic colitis closely resembling the pathological changes of human IBD. Herein, transcriptomic analyses of the differentially expressed genes in the distal colon of Winnie mice with mild colitis and Winnie-Prolapse mice with severe colitis are compared to control C57BL/6 mice. Gene ontology analysis and KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated the upregulation of genes in immune and inflammation-related pathways, metabolic pathways, cancer-related pathways, and neurological processes. Further research into these pathways and individual genes may lead to the identification of new targets for the treatment of IBD. The overexpression of oncogenes, in particular, may serve as an indicator of inflammation progressing to cancer. Overall design: To investigate different pathways involved in the up and down-regulated genes from Winnies (spontaneous IBD model), highly inflamed Winnie-Prolapse mouse models, closely resembling human IBD, to discover novel therapeutics as well as give insights into the paths of inflammation that might lead to cancer.