University of Louisville · Microbiology & ImmunologyGut Barrier Research Lab
Venkatakrishna Rao Jala · Louisville, Kentucky
Research Focus
Dr. Venkatakrishna Rao Jala's lab focuses on understanding how gut barrier dysfunction contributes to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. They are investigating a compound called Urolithin A (UroA), which shows promise in enhancing gut barrier function and reducing inflammation. Their research aims to uncover the mechanisms by which UroA activates specific cellular pathways to provide potential treatments for IBD.
inflammatory bowel diseasegut barrierUrolithin AAHRNLRP6intestinal epitheliumcolitismucus productionIL-18IL-22
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the role of the AHR-NLRP6-IL-18/IL-22 axis in Urolithin A-mediated protection against IBD.
AIM 02Examine mechanisms of Urolithin A-induced goblet cell differentiation and mucus production.
AIM 03Establish translational relevance of the AHR-IL-18 pathway activation in human IBD patient samples.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemurine modelsmucus staining techniquesgene knockout technologiesPCRprotein assaysflow cytometrytransgenic mouse workimmunohistochemistryRNA extraction
Output against the department
Publications146top 45% of dept.217th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.7ktop 47% of dept.226th of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
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