Research

We are interested in understanding how keratins in the single layered colonic epithelium maintain homeostasis of the cells and tissue, with focus on colonocyte energy metabolism, differentiation, stress protection, proliferation, tumorigenesis and protein targeting. We study keratin function in vivo using tissue specific transgenic mouse models and we model colonic inflammatory diseases using e.g. DSS (chemical model of colitis) and AOM (model for colorectal cancer), and using novel non-invasive in vivo intestinal image analysis techniques that we help develop using our models. Mechanistic questions are also addressed using intestinal epithelial cell culture models (e.g. siRNA, virus, Crisper/Cas9 and organoid culture technology), as well as multiple high resolution imaging techniques. Using human patient material with our clinical collaborators, we are trying to understand the molecular mechanisms behind differential keratin expression patterns in intestinal diseases.

Numerous human diseases are associated with keratin mutations, however both the function of keratins in the endocrine pancreas as well as their potential role in diabetes is as yet uninvestigated. Keratins 8 and 18 are the main intermediate filament proteins in the islets of Langerhans, and our studies focus on investigating their involvement in the regulation of islet physiology and regulation of blood glucose. The studies focus on the glucose transporter GLUT2, mitochondrial health, vesicle dynamics and novel keratin SNPs in keratins. Main models used are keratin-tissue specific transgenic mice, and type I diabetes models. Mechanistic questions are studied in isolated islets of Langerhans, primary beta-cell cultures and in insulinoma cells in culture.

Many gut diseases and disorders are relatively common and occasional gut symptoms are familiar to most. IBD is a severe incurable autoimmune disease with two subtypes, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. IBD is also a major risk factor for colorectal cancer. Today, up to 8 million people have been diagnosed with IBD and its prevalence is increasing. Severe gut diseases like IBD are sometimes difficult to diagnose because they share similar symptoms with other chronic but less harmful conditions. Towards this, we develop non-invasive diagnostic biochemical and imaging methods for IBD patients based on novel molecular probes, and biomarker discovery. The Feanalytic R2B project aims to develop a new non-invasive biochemical diagnostic assay for detection and monitoring of IBD and its subtypes. Click here to read more about the Feanalytic project!