Pharmacological Modulation of Autophagy Corrects Cellular Defects in Pediatric Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory gastrointestinal disorder marked by impaired autophagy due to inefficient bacterial uptake. We studied the effects of autophagy modulation using Tat-beclin-1 and carbamazepine (CBZ) on dendritic cells (DCs) and Paneth cell functionality in pediatric CD patients. Twenty CD children genotyped for the ATG16L1 rs2241880 polymorphism and 10 healthy controls were enrolled. DCs were incubated with fluorochrome-conjugated particles of Escherichia coli or DQ-ovalbumin after pretreatment with CBZ or Tat-beclin-1 to evaluate antigen processing. Treated DCs were stained for P62, LAMP1, and LC3, and analyzed by confocal microscopy. Paneth cells from biopsies were pretreated with both drugs, stained for lysozyme, and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Antigen processing increased after Tat-beclin-1 and CBZ treatment in all groups. DCs expressed higher activation markers HLA-DR and CD86+, notably in high-risk patients, who also showed increased DQ-OVA processing. The number of lysozymes in Paneth cells from controls did not change after Tat-beclin-1 treatment, while in the CD group, it decreased significantly, suggesting increased exocytosis. CBZ treatment increased secretory granules only in CD inflamed tissue. Our results indicate that CBZ and Tat-beclin-1 enhance autophagic flux, representing a novel approach to treating pediatric CD patients.