New Delhi, Nov. 17 -- Mutations in a gene linked to Crohn's disease deprive vital immune cells of their capacity to change modes, which leads to overreaction and inflammation, a recent study has found, per ScienceAlert. Although prior research connected variations in the NOD2 gene to Crohn's disease, its precise function in the pathophysiology of the condition had long been unknown.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, employed machine learning techniques to find trends in the gene activity of immune cells in the gut.

The mutations disrupt normal protective mechanisms that enable NOD2 proteins to prevent IBD, according to experiments conducted on lab-grown cells and samples from both healthy stomachs and digestive t...