Scientists found clusters of immune cells in the gut which may be stimulating nearby cells to generate excess scar tissue, known as fibrosis. They found significantly increased fibrosis and immune cell infiltration in Crohn’s disease tissue compared with normal tissue. They identified a link between clusters of immune cells, known as Crohn’s lymphoid aggregates, and groups of endothelial cells, which normally line blood vessels. Dr Michael Glinka, research fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Our findings highlight previously unrecognised interactions between immune cells, endothelial cells and collagen-producing cells in Crohn’s disease. “This early research is really exciting because it helps us to understand what drives that scarring and where new treatments could make a difference.

Source: The Times April 05, 2026 23:12 UTC