The immune system in the gut is faced with the formidable task to efficiently eliminate infectious microbes and at the same time tolerate the commensal microbiota and harmless antigens such as food proteins.
The intestinal mucosa contains a large number of different immune cells that cooperate intimately to maintain homeostasis in the gut.
We study how individual cell types contributes to this homeostasis and what happens when there is a break of tolerance that results in unwanted inflammation, such as in the situation of celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease.
We also study the immunopathology in organ rejection and in graft-versus-host disease after stem cell transplantation. We are particularly interested in determining the longevity of immune cells in the gut.
We have an intimate collaboration with many clinical departments at Oslo University Hospital.
Projects
- Plasma cells in the gut live for decades: implications for vaccination and chronic diseases
- Role of the immune system in graft versus host disease
- Role of the immune system in organ transplantation
- How long does T cells live in the gut and what are their functions?
- Studies on macrophages in the gut
- Studies of dendritic cells in the gut
- Studies on monocytes in celiac disease