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Infection and Immunity Zurich

HMZ Seed Project

The gut microbiota: shielding against infection, but sensitive to intervention?

Prof. Wolf-Dietrich Hardt (ETH), Prof. Gerhard Rogler (USZ), Prof. Uwe Sauer (ETH), Prof. Christian von Mering (UZH)  

The gut harbors a dense microbial community (microbiota) with numerous functions in health and disease, including protection from enteropathogenic bacteria. This  so-called “colonization resistance” will be investigated in the present HMZ Seed Project. Lactulose, a disaccharide routinely used in diagnostic procedures, increases the susceptibility to diarrheal infections caused for example by Samonella spp.. By using an indicator-strain approach, it will be examined if lactulose disrupts the colonization resistance. To this end, growth of Escherichia coli, a normal component of the gut microbiota, is monitored upon lactulose treatment. In a mouse model, the indicator-strain approach will be verified and further investigated.

Weiterführende Informationen

HMZ Seed Project

The Seed Projects of Hochschulmedizin Zürich (HMZ) are intended to foster interdisciplinary, medical research at the interface of basic sciences and clinical application.