Mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction during chronic infection, inflammation and carcinogenesis
Gerhard Mejías-Luque group 2023
Group leaders
Prof. Dr. med. Markus Gerhard
Deputy Director
| Group leader
| Specialist in internal medicine
PD habil PhD Raquel Mejías-Luque
Group leader
Our research group is working on the mechanisms of tumor development in the gastrointestinal tract, especially during chronic inflammation elicited by Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach. Another focus is the deregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway during bacterial infection in the intestine and colon. In parallel, we are interested in identifying targets to develop novel prophylactic approaches and therapeutic strategies for H. pylori infection and stomach cancer.
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Research Projects
Characterization of immune and epithelial cell responses to Helicobacter pylori infection
- The roles of tissue resident T cells during H. pylori infection and after immunization
- Characterization of CD8+T cell responses during H. pylori infection
- The in-vivo function of gamma-glutamyltransferase, an essential virulence factor of Helicobacter pylori during colonization and immune response
- Helicobacter infection and microbiota-dependent colonic inflammation and pathogenesis
- H. pylori interaction with CEACAM receptors
- Characterization and CRISPR-dissection of human regulatory T cells in gastric cancer
Vaccine development against H. pylori
Biomarkers for early gastric cancer detection, progression and therapy response
Organoid facility
Function of the tumor suppressor RNF43 and gastrointestinal carcinogenesis
Microbiome sequencing facility
- microbiome sequencing facility
- microbiome changes upon H. pylori infection in vivo