In-vivo System to Interrogate the Functions of Mucous Membranes and Identify Mucin/Glycan Mimetics and JAK/STAT Inhibitors for the Treatment of Diseases of the Oral Cavity and Digestive Tract
This technology includes a Drosophila mutant strain that can be used as an in vivo model for diseases of the oral cavity and digestive tract (Sjogren's syndrome, colitis, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease), where the mucous membrane is disrupted or non-functional. This mutant lacks a mucous membrane and displays epithelial cell damage, uncontrolled cell proliferation and the up-regulation of conserved signaling pathways (JAK/STAT).