Prof Ronan O’Connell Festschrift: Stricture pathogenesis in Crohn’s disease—the role of intestinal fibroblasts

Approximately one-third of patients with Crohn’s disease have a distinct fibrostenosing phenotype predisposing them to recurrent intestinal stricture formation. The intestinal fibroblast was thought to play a critical role in the abnormal wound healing which ends in stricture formation. Recognising this, a laboratory-based research study was initiated at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital and University College Dublin with the aim of investigating the key steps in intestinal fibroblast-mediated stricture pathogenesis. An in vitro model was developed using cultured fibroblasts taken from sites of stricture in patients undergoing surgery. In summary, these fibroblasts were shown to carry multiple distinct pro-fibrotic phenotypic changes which may explain the abnormal wound healing and scar formation found at their sites of origin. This paper reviews that body of work, undertaken by series of surgical researchers and scientists, and driven by the insight, guidance and mentorship of Professor Ronan O’Connell.