Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms in Regeneration

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms in Regeneration

Reparative processes are an important part of recovery after insults. These insults can be caused by mechanical damage, inflammation, and infection.

Appropriate repair is necessary to avoid development of chronic inflammatory or infectious diseases, and even cancer.

We study cell-intrinsic and cell-cell communication mechanisms by which reparative and immune responses collaboratively ensure tissue protection. We use both in vivo and in vitro (organoid co-cultures) models of disease (inflammation, infection, cancer). We use CEMIR’s impressive imaging infrastructure to develop automated image analysis tools for organoids and tissue sections. We combine these imaging techniques with next generation sequencing to measure changes in microbiome, gene expression, and chromatin state.

We mainly study mucosal sites, as they are one of the prime interfaces between ‘in’ and ‘out’, and thus common sites for inflammation or infection. For example, we study how factors (cytokines) that are derived from immune cells induce an effector response in the intestinal epithelium.

In addition, we are determining the role of different epigenetic modifiers, which alter the chromatin state of cells, in intestinal epithelial cell differentiation in general and in response to infection specifically. Finally, we are really interested in how non-immune cells, such as smooth muscle cells, contribute to tissue repair and immunity by secreting so-called ‘niche’ factors.

Join us

Join us

The Oudhoff-MartinAlonso Lab started in early 2016 and we’re always looking for enthusiastic and ambitious new people at all levels (undergrad, MSc, PhD, postdoc). Please send Mara Martin Alonso an email if you are interested in joining us. Email: mara.m.alonso@ntnu.no.

 

Collaborators

Collaborators

photo_The Research Group on Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms in Regeneration

Jenny and Menno in the lab. Photo: Jacob Jensen / NTNU

person-portlet

Group Leaders

Mara Martin Alonso
Group Leader at CEMIR (IKOM)
mara.m.alonso@ntnu.no
+47-73598448
Menno Oudhoff
Group Leader at CEMIR
menno.oudhoff@ntnu.no
+47-73598573

PubMed_Cellular_Molecular

Colon-derived organoid

Colon-derived organoid

Cell
Colon-derived organoid was stained for goblet cells (green, MUC2) and cellular membrane (purple, Beta-Catenin)