Principal Investigator: Ronen Sumagin, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Ulcerative colitis (UC) causes inflammation in the innermost lining of the colon. From belly pain to diarrhea and bleeding, this type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can take a serious toll on patients’ overall health and lead to life-threatening complications. While most IBD therapies, including biologics, improve symptoms, many individuals still have low-grade tissue inflammation that puts them at risk for disease or infection.

Implicated in driving intestinal inflammation, white blood cells have long been lumped together as bad actors. Yet, as it turns out, not all immune cells are alike. Thanks to previous support from DHF, Dr. Sumagin’s team has identified “healer” neutrophils in UC patients in remission. Frequently found in non-inflamed tissue, this unique subset of immune cells may be strong candidates for promoting colon health and predicting response to IBD treatments. In 2024, the Sumagin lab barely missed winning a $1.7 million NIH grant by a slim 1% application score. Using this year’s DHF award as important bridge funding, the researchers will focus on characterizing these CD74+ neutrophils in human UC tissue and preclinical animal models to determine if they truly improve gut health. Advancing this breakthrough work could bring new hope for UC patients in achieving disease remission and avoiding repeated hospitalizations, surgery, and life-threatening complications from active disease.