Holm Uhlig
Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Group Head / PI and Hon Consultant Physician
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 effective immune regulation. Defects in immune regulation lead to immunopathology such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
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.
To investigate novel genetic defects using next generation sequencing und perform functional analysis of the immunological consequences. A key focus of our group is the understanding how genetic defects in macrophages cause defective bacterial handling and inflammation.
Recent publications
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Synovial tissue atlas in juvenile idiopathic arthritis reveals pathogenic niches associated with disease severity.
Bolton C. et al, (2025), Sci Transl Med, 17
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Autoimmunity in inflammatory bowel disease: a holobiont perspective
Taylor H. et al, (2025), Current Opinion in Immunology, 94
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CD4+ tissue-resident memory Th17 cells are a major source of IL-17A in Spondyloarthritis synovial tissue.
Liu F. et al, (2025), Ann Rheum Dis
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Immune-epithelial-stromal networks define the cellular ecosystem of the small intestine in celiac disease.
FitzPatrick MEB. et al, (2025), Nat Immunol
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Altered chaperone-nonmuscle myosin II interactions drive pathogenicity of the UNC45A c.710T>C variant in osteo-oto-hepato-enteric syndrome.
Waich S. et al, (2025), JCI Insight, 10