Approved research

Identifying polymorphisms in GPR101 associated with inflammatory diseases

Lay summary

Recent studies have shown that inflammation doest not simply reduces by itself but needs the help of molecules that promote its termination. For these molecules to work, they need to interact with a family of proteins knows as receptors. We recently found that GPR101, a receptor with no clear biological function until now, is necessary for the reduction of inflammation and the absence of this protein can increased inflammation. In humans, the gene that encodes for GPR101 has shown great variation between populations; most of the cases, these genetic variations do not affect the protein activity; however, some variations can affect the function of the protein and may lead to disease. Therefore, we want to determine whether in humans there are genetic variations in GPR101 that can lead to relevant biological changes in the protein and the development of inflammatory diseases. This will help us to gain new insights on disease progression and potentially enhance the discovery of new and more effective treatments.