{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T07:49:12Z","timestamp":1787730552718,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776038400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The STAT3 protein is involved in mitochondrial functions such as the respiratory electron transport chain, regulation of cellular metabolism, and scavenging of reactive oxygen species. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with damaged intestinal cells and mitochondrial dysfunction due to the inflammatory environment of the intestine. Here, we studied the potential use of the\n                      <jats:italic>Stat3<\/jats:italic>\n                      gene to induce STAT3 expression in mitochondria to help treat IBD.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      We transferred the\n                      <jats:italic>Stat3<\/jats:italic>\n                      gene and examined its effects on the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and fibrosis markers, and mitochondrial function, in intestinal tissues via immunohistochemistry. The microbiomes of mice were also analyzed.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The gene increased the expression of mitochondrial STAT3 (mtSTAT3), which reduced the levels of iNOS and fibrosis factors (aSMA, COL1A1) as well as proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17, IL-6) in the colon. It also enhanced mitochondrial function in the colon, and in immune cells, and led to higher levels of the beneficial bacteria\n                      <jats:italic>Lactobacillus reuteri<\/jats:italic>\n                      and\n                      <jats:italic>Akkermansia muciniphila<\/jats:italic>\n                      in the intestine. Taken together, these changes helped alleviate colitis and protected against intestinal damage.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Stat3 gene transfer targeting mtSTAT3 expression ameliorates colitis, enhances mitochondrial function in the colon, and reduces inflammation via inhibition of the inflammatory response and necroptosis, offering a potential treatment for IBD.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1728341","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T04:39:48Z","timestamp":1776055188000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Overexpression of mitochondrial STAT3 protein improves colonic inflammation and fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease by enhancing mitochondrial function"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"A Ram","family":"Lee","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Lab of Translational ImmunoMedicine, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Lab of Mitochondrial Immunomedicine center for Global Health Therapeutics (MIGHT), Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haeyoun","family":"Choi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Seon-Yeong","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lab of Translational ImmunoMedicine, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Lab of Mitochondrial Immunomedicine center for Global Health Therapeutics (MIGHT), Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hye yeon","family":"Kang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lab of Translational ImmunoMedicine, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Lab of Mitochondrial Immunomedicine center for Global Health Therapeutics (MIGHT), Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Young-Mee","family":"Moon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lab of Translational ImmunoMedicine, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Lab of Mitochondrial Immunomedicine center for Global Health Therapeutics (MIGHT), Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Suk Woo","family":"Nam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Functional RNomics Research Center, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bo-In","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary\u2019s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mi-La","family":"Cho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lab of Translational ImmunoMedicine, Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Lab of Mitochondrial Immunomedicine center for Global Health Therapeutics (MIGHT), Catholic Research Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]},{"name":"Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea","place":["Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)60750-8","article-title":"Inflammatory bowel disease: cause and immunobiology","volume":"369","author":"Baumgart","year":"2007","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"40","DOI":"10.1007\/s11894-019-0705-6","article-title":"Evolving epidemiology of IBD","volume":"21","author":"Windsor","year":"2019","journal-title":"Curr Gastroenterol 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