Subject of our work is the physiology and pathophysiology of the intestine. Our research group studies the immunological and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of infections, inflammation and cancer in the intestine. The focus of these studies is on deciphering the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.
Specifically, our research group is investigating how the immune system controls homeostasis, i.e. cell division, cell differentiation and cell death in the intestinal epithelium, and what effects this in turn has on the mucosal immune system in the intestine. Excessive cell death creates gaps in the epithelial layer - a cell layer that is actually supposed to protect the intestinal wall from the penetration of harmful bacteria. This results in inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. However, if individual epithelial cells do not die at all, bowel cancer can develop in the long term. Our research investigates the molecular processes and the consequences of dysregulation of these processes and derives models for the development of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and bowel cancer.
Our work is dedicated to understanding the intestinal epithelium as an immunological barrier, as well as the regulation of cell death in the intestinal epithelium and its significance in the development of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. Our work shows, among other things, that a dysregulation of programmed cell death in the intestinal epithelium leads to a loss of the intestinal barrier, the invasion of bacteria, the overactivation of immune cells in the intestine and ultimately to chronic intestinal inflammation. Further work has elucidated how the immune system controls cell death in the intestinal epithelium during inflammatory reactions, what role bacteria and viruses play in the intestine and which cellular signaling pathways cause or prevent programmed cell death in the intestinal epithelium. The aim of our work is to find starting points for new therapeutic procedures in the treatment and prevention of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as colorectal cancer.
We have many years of experience in studying the intestine using molecular biological, cell biological and immunological techniques. A methodological focus of our research group is the implementation and evaluation of experimental disease models for inflammation, infection and carcinogenesis in the intestine. In addition, we have extensive experience in performing endoscopic techniques in preclinical models and in conditional mutagenesis of the intestine in the Cre-Lox model (Villin-Cre, Villin-CreERT2). Another methodological focus is the generation and study of organoids from the intestine of patients with intestinal diseases and from experimental disease models.
Our research is funded within the framework of several national and international research networks. Scientific collaboration with other research groups on a joint project is particularly stimulating. We are therefore always open to requests for cooperation.