Mapping reelin in the gastrointestinal tract: A chemistry-informed approach to colorectal cancer

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dc.contributor.authorAbbot, Hailey
dc.contributor.authorThom, Sophie
dc.contributor.authorCaruncho, Hector J.
dc.contributor.authorIosub, Violeta
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-20T15:46:40Z
dc.date.available2026-04-20T15:46:40Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractColorectal cancer development may be linked to compromised gut integrity. The expression of reelin, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein proposed to play a role in gut barrier function, has been shown to be affected by chronic stress, indicating a possible link between chronic stress and colorectal cancer development. However, while stress-related changes in reelin expression have been studied in the small intestine, they have not been examined in the large intestine, the primary site of colorectal cancer. This study explored how chronic stress influences reelin-immunoreactive (IR) cell density in the jejunum and colon, as well as regional differences in reelin-IR cell density along the intestinal tract. Long-Evans rats (n = 12) underwent a 21-day corticosterone (CORT) model of chronic stress. Jejunum and colon cross-sections were stained using DAB immunohistochemistry to visualize reelin-IR cells, and their density was measured using an unbiased optical fractionator method. CORT treatment did not significantly alter reelin-IR cell density in either intestinal region. Reelin-IR cell density was significantly lower in the colon than in the jejunum, regardless of treatment. These findings suggest that lower baseline reelin levels in the colon may contribute to its increased susceptibility to colorectal cancer.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelUndergraduate
dc.description.sponsorshipJamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/23619
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Victoria
dc.subjectcolorectal cancer
dc.subjectreelin
dc.subjectimmunohistochemistry
dc.subjectjejunum
dc.subjectchronic stress
dc.subjectcolon
dc.subjectJamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Chemistry
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Medical Sciences
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Biology
dc.titleMapping reelin in the gastrointestinal tract: A chemistry-informed approach to colorectal cancer
dc.typePoster

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