Biominerals in Health and Disease

几乎所有的生物医学研究都涉及碳基（有机）分子，但我们和其他研究小组已经表明，非碳基“矿物”结构在支持正常健康和发育方面具有未被重视的作用。此外，我们发现，通过研究这些矿物质的结构和生物学功能，我们对如何开发新的基于矿物质的治疗方法有了新的想法。我们的大部分工作都集中在消化系统上，并了解我们的肠道细胞如何吸收矿物质结构以及有什么目的。我们的工作整合了不同的学科，如化学，细胞生物学，人类营养学和免疫学，我们与世界各地的许多不同的科学家合作。然后，我们将一些经验教训应用于其他关键医学研究领域，例如开发基于矿物质的抗癌剂。事实上，我们非常致力于将我们的研究成果转化为营养或治疗应用，以改善人类健康。具体来说，在这项工作中，我们将描述：-（一）如何以及为什么小矿物质颗粒自然形成在肠腔中，以及它们的作用是什么，作为“货船”，捕获食物和细菌的碎片在这个环境中，然后运输货物到肠道免疫系统的细胞作为“监视”的一部分，为正常的人类健康。(b)无论在克罗恩病患者中，上述途径是否正常运行。如果不是，这是否可能是继发于疾病过程，或者实际上首先会导致疾病过程的发展（即原因或影响）？(c)我们都通过饮食、药片或个人护理产品接触到的工程颗粒是否可以劫持上述途径，进入肠道细胞，并在遗传易感个体中打破健康与疾病（特别是克罗恩病）之间的平衡。(d)事实上，我们所接触的工程颗粒，如（c）中所述，是否会越过肠道进入我们的血液循环，从而进入身体的其他组织。如果是这样的话，在健康受试者和克罗恩病患者中这种情况会发生到什么程度。(e)我们是否可以构建矿物质结构，有目的地刺激某些细胞类型，以便在免疫系统需要增强的疾病中获得治疗益处-例如癌症。

Almost all biomedical research involves carbon-based (organic) molecules and yet we and other groups have shown that non-carbon based 'mineral' structures have unappreciated roles in supporting normal health and development. Moreover, we have found that by studying these mineral structures and function in biology we have new ideas on how to develop novel mineral-based therapeutics.. Much of our work concentrates on the digestive system and in understanding how our intestinal cells take up mineral structures and with what purpose. Our work integrates different disciplines, such as chemistry, cell biology, human nutrition and immunology, and we collaborate with many different scientists around the world. We then apply some of the lessons learned to other key medical research areas, such as the development of a mineral-based anti-cancer agent. Indeed we are very committed to translating our research findings for nutritional or therapeutic applications that will improve human health. Specifically in this work we will describe:-(a) How and why small mineral particles form naturally in the lumen of the intestine, and what their role is in acting as "cargo ships" that capture fragments of food and bacteria in this environment and then transport the cargo to cells of the intestinal immune system as a part of 'surveillance' for normal human health.(b) Whether in Crohn's disease patients, the pathway described above is operating normally or not. And, if not, whether this may be secondary to the disease process or in fact carries a risk for the disease process to develop in the first place (i.e. cause or effect)?(c) Whether engineered particles, to which we are all exposed via the diet or pills or personal care products, can hijack the pathway described above, lodge in intestinal cells and tip the balance between health and disease (notably Crohn's disease) in genetically susceptible individuals.(d) Whether in fact the engineered particles to which we are exposed, as described in (c) get beyond the intestine and enter our blood circulation and therefore other tissues of the body. And if so, to what extent does this occur in healthy subjects and in those with Crohn's disease.(e) Whether we can build mineral structures that will purposefully stimulate certain cell types for therapeutic benefit in diseases when the immune system needs a boost - such as in cancer.