Introduction

The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in IBD launched the WCM Live Cell Bank to rapidly accelerate clinical and translation research in gastroenterology. This biorepository is a prospective live tissue bank and database of healthy and IBD patients at Weill Cornell Medical College/NYP Hospital that collects, stores and utilizes live samples obtained from peripheral blood, gut biopsies, and fecal matter to enable functional and multi-omics studies. Currently, the Live Cell Bank includes over 5,000 samples. Our results thus far are extensive and made fundamental advances in mucosal immunology, host-microbiota interactions, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer (see publications below). These key scientific advances are only possible with the generous participation of patients and close collaborations between clinicians, scientists, and technical staff at our institute.

Generous support for the WCM Live Cell Bank is provided by Cure for IBD, the Jill Roberts Institute for Research in IBD, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the Sanders Family Foundation, Glenn Greenberg and Linda Vester Foundation, and the Rosanne H. Silbermann Foundation

Please contact us for additional information: Caitlin Mason cam4028@med.cornell.edu, JRI LCB Clinical Research Coordinator

Results

2025

Won TH, Arifuzzaman M, Parkhurst CN, Miranda IC, Zhang B, Hu E, Kashyap S, Letourneau J, Jin WB, Fu Y, Guzior DV; JRI Live Cell Bank; Quinn RA, Guo CJ, David LA, Artis D, Schroeder FC. Host metabolism balances microbial regulation of bile acid signalling. Nature. 2025 Jan 8. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08379-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39779854.

2024

Ahmed A, Joseph AM, Zhou J, Horn V, Uddin J, Lyu M, Goc J; JRI Live Cell Bank; Sockolow RE, Wing JB, Vivier E, Sakaguchi S, Sonnenberg GF. CTLA-4-expressing ILC3s restrain interleukin-23-mediated inflammation. Nature. 2024 Jun;630(8018):976-983. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07537-3. Epub 2024 Jun 12. PMID: 38867048; PMCID: PMC11298788.

Li TT, Chen X, Huo D, Arifuzzaman M, Qiao S, Jin WB, Shi H, Li XV; JRI Live Cell Bank Consortium; Iliev ID, Artis D, Guo CJ. Microbiota metabolism of intestinal amino acids impacts host nutrient homeostasis and physiology. Cell Host Microbe. 2024 May 8;32(5):661-675.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.04.004. Epub 2024 Apr 23. PMID: 38657606.

Arifuzzaman M, Won TH, Yano H, Uddin J, Emanuel ER, Hu E, Zhang W, Li TT, Jin WB, Grier A, Kashyap S; JRI Live Cell Bank; Guo CJ, Schroeder FC, Artis D. Dietary fiber is a critical determinant of pathologic ILC2 responses and intestinal inflammation. J Exp Med. 2024 May 6;221(5):e20232148. doi: 10.1084/jem.20232148. Epub 2024 Mar 20. PMID: 38506708; PMCID: PMC10955042.

2023

Battat R, Scherl EJ, Lukin D, Charilaou P, Mahtani P, Gerber J, Gandara JA; JRI IBD Live Cell Bank Consortium; Dündar F, Zumbo P, Betel D, Guo CJ, Longman RS. Increased Primary Bile Acids with Ileocolonic Resection Impact Ileal Inflammation and Gut Microbiota in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Crohns Colitis. 2023 May 3;17(5):795-803. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjac173. PMID: 36322790; PMCID: PMC10155745.

2022

Porras AM, Zhou H, Shi Q, Xiao X; JRI Live Cell Bank; Longman R, Brito IL. Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Associated Gut Commensals Degrade Components of the Extracellular Matrix. mBio. 2022 Dec 20;13(6):e0220122. doi: 10.1128/mbio.02201-22. Epub 2022 Nov 29. PMID: 36445085; PMCID: PMC9765649.

Tsou AM, Yano H, Parkhurst CN, Mahlakõiv T, Chu C, Zhang W, He Z, Jarick KJ, Zhong C, Putzel GG, Hatazaki M; JRI IBD Live Cell Bank Consortium; Lorenz IC, Andrew D, Balderes P, Klose CSN, Lira SA, Artis D. Neuropeptide regulation of non-redundant ILC2 responses at barrier surfaces. Nature. 2022 Nov;611(7937):787-793. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05297-6. Epub 2022 Nov 2. PMID: 36323781; PMCID: PMC10225046.

Arifuzzaman M, Won TH, Li TT, Yano H, Digumarthi S, Heras AF, Zhang W, Parkhurst CN, Kashyap S, Jin WB, Putzel GG, Tsou AM, Chu C, Wei Q, Grier A; JRI IBD Live Cell Bank Consortium; Worgall S, Guo CJ, Schroeder FC, Artis D. Inulin fibre promotes microbiota-derived bile acids and type 2 inflammation. Nature. 2022 Nov;611(7936):578-584. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05380-y. Epub 2022 Nov 2. PMID: 36323778; PMCID: PMC10576985.

Zhang W, Lyu M, Bessman NJ, Xie Z, Arifuzzaman M, Yano H, Parkhurst CN, Chu C, Zhou L, Putzel GG, Li TT, Jin WB, Zhou J; JRI Live Cell Bank; Hu H, Tsou AM, Guo CJ, Artis D. Gut-innervating nociceptors regulate the intestinal microbiota to promote tissue protection. Cell. 2022 Oct 27;185(22):4170-4189.e20. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.008. Epub 2022 Oct 14. PMID: 36240781; PMCID: PMC9617796.

Lyu M, Suzuki H, Kang L, Gaspal F, Zhou W, Goc J, Zhou L, Zhou J, Zhang W; JRI Live Cell Bank; Shen Z, Fox JG, Sockolow RE, Laufer TM, Fan Y, Eberl G, Withers DR, Sonnenberg GF. ILC3s select microbiota-specific regulatory T cells to establish tolerance in the gut. Nature. 2022 Oct;610(7933):744-751. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05141-x. Epub 2022 Sep 7. PMID: 36071169; PMCID: PMC9613541.

Zhou W, Zhou L, Zhou J; JRI Live Cell Bank; Chu C, Zhang C, Sockolow RE, Eberl G, Sonnenberg GF. ZBTB46 defines and regulates ILC3s that protect the intestine. Nature. 2022 Sep;609(7925):159-165. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04934-4. Epub 2022 Jul 13. PMID: 35831503; PMCID: PMC9528687.

2021

Goc J, Lv M, Bessman NJ, Flamar AL, Sahota S, Suzuki H, Teng F, Putzel GG; JRI Live Cell Bank, Eberl G, Withers DR, Arthur JC, Shah MA, Sonnenberg GF. Dysregulation of ILC3s unleashes progression and immunotherapy resistance in colon cancer. Cell. 2021 Sep 16;184(19):5015-5030.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.029. Epub 2021 Aug 17. PMID: 34407392; PMCID: PMC8454863.

Viladomiu M, Metz ML, Lima SF, Jin WB, Chou L; JRI Live Cell Bank, Guo CJ, Diehl GE, Simpson KW, Scherl EJ, Longman RS. Adherent-invasive E. coli metabolism of propanediol in Crohn's disease regulates phagocytes to drive intestinal inflammation. Cell Host Microbe. 2021 Apr 14;29(4):607-619.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.01.002. Epub 2021 Feb 3. PMID: 33539767; PMCID: PMC8049981.

2020

Bessman NJ, Mathieu JRR, Renassia C, Zhou L, Fung TC, Fernandez KC, Austin C, Moeller JB, Zumerle S, Louis S, Vaulont S, Ajami NJ, Sokol H, Putzel GG, Arvedson T, Sockolow RE,

LakhalLittleton S, Cloonan SM, Arora M, Peyssonnaux C, Sonnenberg GF. Dendritic cell-derived hepcidin sequesters iron from the microbiota to promote mucosal healing. Science. 2020 Apr 10;368(6487):186-189. doi: 10.1126/science.aau6481. PMID: 32273468; PMCID: PMC7724573.

2019

Zhou, L., Chu, C., Teng, F. et al. Innate lymphoid cells support regulatory T cells in the intestine through interleukin-2. Nature 568, 405–409 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1082-x

Consortium Members