Fabio Cominelli, Distinguished University Professor at the School of Medicine, led research on TL1A/DR3 signaling in experimental Crohn’s disease alongside first author Paola Menghini, a research associate in the Digestive Health Research Institute at Case Western Reserve University.
TL1A/DR3 is a novel cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-like molecule) that has been shown by Cominelli’s team and others to have a critical role in IBD patients. Monoclonal antibodies against TL1A have been shown recently to be effective in clinical trials in both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis (more than 3 million people affected in the U.S. alone). It is anticipated that several new biological drugs blocking TL1A will be approved by the FDA in the next two to three years.
In their recent paper, the researchers described a new mechanism of action of TL1A/DR3 mediated by a subset of lymphocytes called Th9 cells. This pathway may be used to block inflammation in these patients by a more specific mechanism, e.g., monoclonal antibodies against IL-9 or other molecules produced by Th9 cells.