About the IPM diverticulitis and ulcerative colitis project
Approximately 1 to 2 percent of people in this country will require surgery for diverticulitis, a painful intestinal disease that can lead to perforation of the colon. In collaboration with Dr. Walter Koltun, director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, IPM investigators are exploring the hypothesis that host genetic factors predispose individuals to the development of diverticulitis, the identification of which can help disease management as well as direct future research into the pathophysiology of the ailment.
Examining the genomic sequence of afflicted and non-afflicted members of several families in which several members of the family present with severe, early onset disease, IPM investigators have identified several candidate genes that may contribute to the onset and progression of the disease.
Funding: This project is funded by CURE and the philanthropic Carlino Fund.