Glossary Terms

A small antimicrobial peptide made by your immune cells and epithelial surfaces—your body’s natural antibiotic.Defensins are cationic, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides

An enzyme that cuts a peptide chain in the middle rather than nibbling from the ends—often the first step in

Chronic inflammation of the digestive tract—either Crohn’s disease (anywhere in the GI tract) or ulcerative colitis (colon only).Inflammatory bowel disease

A condition where bones become so thin and fragile that they break easily—especially at the spine, hip, and wrist.Osteoporosis is

Damage to the blood vessels in the back of the eye caused by diabetes—a leading cause of blindness in working-age

The seal between cells lining your gut, blood vessels, and other barriers—when tight junctions leak, things get through that shouldn’t.Tight

Inflammation inside the brain and nervous system—a common driver of neurodegenerative diseases from Alzheimer’s to Parkinson’s.Neuroinflammation involves activation of microglia

A study that follows a defined group of people over time to see what happens to them—observational, not experimental.A cohort

A key relay in the cell’s growth signaling chain—when activated, it tells the cell to grow, divide, or survive.Extracellular signal-regulated

A signaling protein with dual personality—it suppresses inflammation and promotes tissue repair, but can also drive fibrosis and help tumors