MedicineBiology

Dengfeng Kang, Ai Li, Xiangqi Xie, Han Liu, Liang Chen, Zhong Feng, Xiang Gao, Han Gao, Xiaohan Wu, Huiying Lu, Xiaoyu Li, Jinghan Hua, Long Ju, Haifeng Lian, Xue Li, Zhanju Liu

2026.2.1MedComm

DOI: 10.1002/mco2.70637

tlooto Summary

It is demonstrated that FXR expression is markedly decreased in neutrophils from patients with active IBD, identifying FXR as a critical regulator of neutrophil‐mediated mucosal inflammation via the mTORC1‐glycolysis pathway, highlighting its therapeutic potential in IBD.

Abstract

Neutrophils significantly accumulate within the inflamed intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is typically downregulated. However, the mechanisms by which FXR modulates neutrophil‐mediated mucosal inflammation in IBD remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated that FXR expression is markedly decreased in neutrophils from patients with active IBD. Fxr−/− mice exhibited exacerbated colitis following DSS insults or Citrobacter rodentium infection, evidenced by heightened neutrophil‐driven immune responses including increased neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. Adoptive transfer of Fxr−/− neutrophils into WT recipients exacerbated DSS‐induced intestinal inflammation, indicating that FXR suppresses the pathogenic activity of neutrophils in a neutrophil‐intrinsic manner. An ex vivo functional assay revealed that Fxr−/− neutrophils display elevated ROS production, NET formation, and migratory capacity upon inflammatory challenge. Mechanistically, RNA‐sequencing and functional assays revealed enhanced mTORC1 signaling and glycolysis in Fxr−/− neutrophils. Consistently, pharmacological activation of FXR with INT‐747 significantly restrained the mTORC1‐glycolysis‐mediated proinflammatory responses in neutrophils from IBD patients. Our findings identify FXR as a critical regulator of neutrophil‐mediated mucosal inflammation via the mTORC1‐glycolysis pathway, highlighting its therapeutic potential in IBD.

Citation format

KANG, Dengfeng, et al. Dysregulation of farnesoid x receptor on neutrophil homeostasis exacerbates intestinal inflammation via the mtorc1‐glycolysis signaling pathway. MedComm, 2026, 7(2): e70637.