Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: CD4(+) T cells constitute central players in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), driving inflammation in the gut mucosa. Current evidence indicates that CCR9 and the integrin alpha 4 beta 7 are necessary and sufficient to imprint colonic homing on CD4(+) T cells upon inflammation. Interestingly, dopaminergic signaling has been previously involved in leukocyte homing. Despite dopamine levels are strongly reduced in the inflamed gut mucosa, the role of dopamine in the gut homing of T cells remains unknown. Here, we study how dopaminergic signaling affects T cells upon gut inflammation.