Projects

Each abdominal surgical intervention leads to impaired motility of the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract lasting several days with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, intolerance to food and absence of defecation, which is referred to as postoperative ileus (POI). This condition is a major source of patient morbidity and prolonged hospital stay and represents a significant economic burden to health care systems.

Previous research has ...

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is continuously exposed to vast amounts of foreign antigens, mainly of dietary and bacterial origin. Although the intestinal mucosa creates a tight barrier against intraluminal proteins and bacteria, it remains highly vulnerable to pathogenic infection. In order to deal with this constant threat, the GI tract is equipped by a potent and efficient defense mechanism provided by the innate immune system, in ...

The gastrointestinal tract represents the largest interface between the environment and the organism. It is essential for digestion and absorption of nutrients, however at the same time acting as a barrier against potentially noxious ingested elements and infectious agents. Activation of a potent and specific immune response against pathogens counteracts and prevent invasion of harmful microorganisms. However, a tight control of this ...