Inflammation promotes stomach epithelial defense by stimulating the secretion of antimicrobial peptides in the mucus.

The mucus serves as a protective barrier in the gastrointestinal tract against microbial attacks. While its role extends beyond merely being a physical barrier, the extent of its active bactericidal properties remains unclear, and the mechanisms regulating these properties are not yet understood. We propose that inflammation induces epithelial cells to secrete antimicrobial peptides, transforming mucus into an active bactericidal agent.

IFNγ-dependent silencing of TFF1 during infection.

Chronic infection is the leading cause of intestinal-type adenocarcinoma, as prolonged colonization triggers chronic active gastritis, which may evolve into adenocarcinoma of the intestinal type. In this environment, cytokines play a significant role in determining the evolution of the infection. In combination with other factors (genetic, environmental and nutritional), the pro-inflammatory response may trigger pro-oncogenic mechanisms that lead to the silencing of tumour-suppressor genes, such as trefoil factor 1 (TFF1).

TFF1 Induces Aggregation and Reduces Motility of .

Gastric cancer is considered one of the most common malignancies in humans and infection is the major environmental risk factor of gastric cancer development. Given the high spread of this bacterium whose infection is mostly asymptomatic, colonization persists for a long time, becoming chronic and predisposing to malignant transformation. The first defensive barrier from bacterial infection is constituted by the gastric mucosa that secretes several protective factors, among which is the trefoil factor 1 (TFF1), that, as mucin 5AC, binds the bacterium.

Low copper availability limits Helicobacter infection in mice.

Copper is an essential element for all living organisms; however, it becomes toxic at high concentrations due to its ability to participate in many redox reactions. This vital micronutrient balance plays an important role in the battle between host and pathogen, due to its use by the host to intoxicate pathogens. In this study, we explore the effects of copper deprivation on Helicobacter infection in mice using the copper chelator tetrathiomolybdate.

TFF1 Promotes EMT-Like Changes through an Auto-Induction Mechanism.

Trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) is a small secreted protein expressed in the gastrointestinal tract where, together with the other two members of its family, it plays an essential role in mucosal protection and repair against injury. The molecular mechanisms involved in the protective function of all three TFF proteins are not fully elucidated. In this paper, we investigated the role of TFF1 in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) events.

Gastric TFF1 Expression from Acute to Chronic Infection.

TFF1, a mucin-associated secreted peptide of gastric mucous cells, is known as a protective agent for stomach epithelium under different stimuli, but its role upon infection is still not clear. In this paper we characterized TFFs expression, with particular attention to TFF1, under infection in gastric cell lines. A mouse model was used to distinguish TFF1 mRNA expression between acute and chronic stages of infection.