Studies using epithelial-specific knockout (KO) mice targeting HIF pathways have demonstrated that Hif-1a deficiency in fatty acid-binding protein-expressing colonic epithelium results in significantly impaired barrier function through decreased expression of protective genes, including multidrug resistance gene-1, intestinal trefoil factor and Cd73 (also known as Nt5e), in 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis (Karhausen et al., 2004), a mouse colitis model in which T-cell-mediated, Th1-driven immune responses are involved (Wirtz et al., 2007). The gene discussed is NT5E; the disease is colitis.