The Detroit News. American and French researchers said having a mutation to the gene on chromosome 16 increases a person's chances of developing an inherited form of the disease by at least 25 percent. The American and French groups were to present their studies on Monday at a scientific meeting in Atlanta. The Nod2 gene encodes a protein associated with the innate immune system.
Most life forms have an innate immune system.
Chrohn's Disease afflicts more than 500,000 people in the United States, most of whom are under 30. About one in four patients have a family history of the disease, which has encouraged researchers to find a genetic origin. How the mutation contributes to Crohn's Disease is unclear. So it's a very ancient part of the immune system. Researchers believe that immune cells in the gut overreact to the presence of bacteria.