Multi-cohort meta-analysis, single-cell and Mendelian randomization analyses with experimental validation identify RHBDF2 as a shared mediator of ulcerative colitis and blood-brain barrier disruption

Background

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is increasingly associated with central nervous system comorbidities, including cognitive decline and dementia, yet the molecular mechanisms linking intestinal inflammation to brain dysfunction remain unclear. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption is a plausible convergence point, but the mediators involved are largely unknown.