Mucosal Immunology
The gastrointestinal immune system has evolved to avoid and counteract the invasion of pathogens. To allow a strong inflammatory immune response during infection but avoid tissue damage there is a need for barrier function and effective immune regulation. Defects in immune regulation lead to immunopathology such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease. We study mechanisms of intestinal barrier function as well as immune regulation by analysing patients with Mendelian disorders that develop intestinal inflammation.
About one fifth of all patients with IBD present with initial symptoms during childhood and adolescents. In particular in the very young children patients an underlying immunodeficiency may cause IBD-like symptoms. The analysis of immune deviation in children with IBD and IBD-like symptoms may contribute to the understanding of the complex puzzle of molecular mechanisms involved in IBD.
Recent updates on the studies and opportunities within the Mucosal Immunology Group.
Group members
Holm Uhlig – Principle Investigator
Sumeet Pandey – Post Doc
Melania Capitani – Post Doc
Dominik Aschenbrenner – Post Doc
Arian Laurence – Visiting Researcher
Athena Cavounidis – PhD student
Zoe Christoforidou – Post Doc
Hebe Chen – Post Doc
COLORS in IBD
We established the COLORS in IBD study (COLitis of early Onset - Rare diseaseSwithIN IBD disease phenotypes) to investigate novel genetic effects in early onset intestinal inflammation.
COLORS is a collaboration with the Sanger Center Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Center of Human Genomics (WTCHG) Oxford.
More information on COLORS in IBD can be found here.
Collaborators
Professor Fiona Powrie FRS, Experimental Medicine Division, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK
Professor Charis Eng, Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, United States
Dr Carl Anderson, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
Dr Aleixo Muise, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada