Illuminating Celiac Disease and Intestinal Bowel Diseases Pathogenesis.

Dysfunction of the epithelial barrier may lead to Celiac disease (CD) or Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), commonly separated into two major diseases: Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis. We are interested in understanding disease mechanisms underlying CD and IBD, with an emphasis on uncovering the contributions of self and non-self antigens, many of which have unknown function.

We use single-cell genomics, proteomics, immunopeptidomics, and computational methods to map risk gene expression across different cells of the tissue, their cellular context, and their interactions with other cells within the tissue. In parallel, we are utilizing antigen-presenting cell-T cell interactions to elucidate the role of gut-specific antigens in CD and IBD. In addition, we use two-component systems, such as co-cultures of organoids and immune cells, to better understand these interactions and their roles in the initiation and progression of CD and IBD..