Milk-derived Gangliosides as Novel Anti-inflammatory Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The overall objective of this study is to demonstrate how dietary ganglioside may protect the gut attenuate inflammatory signals in the intestinal mucosa.

Gangliosides are dietary fats found in milk and are important constituents of intestinal cells. Our previous studies have shown that inflamed intestinal mucosal cells have reduced ganglioside content compared to normal mucosal cells. Gangliosides are glycolipids found on the surface of the intestinal mucosa and in lipid rafts in enterocytes and lymphocytes. Gangliosides influence microbial attachment, cell division, differentiation, signaling and mucosal integrity. Preclinical studies show that provision of ganglioside in cell culture and in animal diets increase ganglioside content in mucosal cells and down regulates signals caused by pro-inflammatory stimuli. In subjects with active Crohn's disease, consumption of ganglioside remarkably improved the Crohn's Disease Activity Index. In healthy control subjects, dietary ganglioside improved intestinal permeability and decreased production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandin E2.

It is proposed that ganglioside degradation is elevated in the inflamed gut of IBD patients. Provision of ganglioside in the diet replaces ganglioside in the gut, consequently restoring proper structure and function to the diseased intestine and inducing disease remission. Insight into diet-based treatment would allow IBD patients to live healthy and happy lives. The main research objective is to characterize how ganglioside catabolism is associated with increased signaling from pro-inflammatory mediators and how reduction in ganglioside levels can be ameliorated by ganglioside supplementation during active inflammatory disease. This study will assess molecular mechanisms by which ganglioside alters gut permeability, inflammatory mediators and cell signaling.