Inflammatory bowel disease patients suffer from chronic inflammation of their guts, which puts them at higher risk of lethal colorectal cancer. Some of these patients have abnormal fat accumulation around their inflammatory colon lesions.
As a 4th year PhD candidate in Biochemistry, Yilin is using both mouse model, molecular biology, and biochemistry to investigate how changed lipid breakdown and fatty acid generation affects the development of both inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.
Yilin鈥檚 doctoral research focuses on a unique protein inhibitor of lipid breakdown, studying its potential role in intestinal inflammation and colorectal cancer. Her research aims to understand how abnormally regulated lipid breakdown affects inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer on the molecular level, and clarify the relationship between lipid breakdown, inflammation, and colorectal cancer.
鈥淲e are collaborating with a local clinician, Dr. Alain Bitton, the director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the 平特五不中 Heath Centre (MUHC). Using clinical serum and urine samples, we will determine how the biochemistry of lipid breakdown affects the progression of inflammatory bowel disease.鈥�
In addition to her collaborations with MUHC, Yilin鈥檚 work is also supported by the various Scientific Platforms at the GCI: 鈥淚 would like to thank the support from 平特五不中 Integrated Core for Animal Modeling (MICAM), 平特五不中 Flow Cytometry Innovation Platform, 平特五不中 Histology Core, 平特五不中 Metabolomics Core, and GCI Research Support. The platforms on site of the GCI makes it easier to reach out, conduct and troubleshot experiments. The state-of-the-art instruments and technologies they provide have been beneficial to the project. Their help has been informative and very useful. I would like to acknowledge all their credits and thank all of them for their help,鈥� shares Yilin.
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are at higher risk of developing colorectal cancer and die from it. The protein inhibitor of lipid breakdown that Yilin is working on is increased in inflammatory bowel disease patients, especially in patients with no response to certain therapeutic drugs, and in colorectal cancer patients with lower survival rate.
When asked about her research in closing the care gap, Yilin tells us that 鈥渋n clarifying the role of changed lipid breakdown, our work may have implications in the development and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.鈥�