Poster (Scientific congresses, symposiums and conference proceedings)Dynamic change of host gastrointestinal microbiome and immune status in relation to mucosal barrier effects during chemotherapy and immune ablative intervention in humans
KAYSEN, Anne; HEINTZ, Anna; LEBRUN, Laura et al.
2014 • Exploring Human Host-Microbiome Interactions in Health and Disease
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Abstract :
[en] The human gastrointestinal tract is colonized by communities of endogenous microbes, commonly referred to as the microbiome. Here, the microbiota are in close contact with the host intestinal mucosa and its innate and adaptive immune systems. The fact that certain stimuli induce an inflammatory response whereas others induce tolerance suggests, that the host immune system interacts with the microbiota and vice versa in different ways. However, the exact details of theses interactions remain largely unknown.
It is known that cancer treatment can result in severe adverse effects like mucositis and in combination with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (Tx), in graft-versus host disease (GvHD). However, there is at present only sparse information available on the effects of chemotherapy on the intestinal microbiota and resulting changes in microbiome-immune system interactions. Almost no data exists on the effect of allogeneic stem cell Tx on the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota.
In this project, we are studying the complex interactions between the host and the intestinal microbiota after chemotherapy with or without allogeneic Tx and the occurrence of severe adverse side effects such as mucositis and GvHD.
Using a systems biology approach including metagenomics and RNAseq, fecal samples and blood plasma samples from patients undergoing these treatments for malignancies will be analysed to identify the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome and bacterial small RNAs. The main research hypothesis is that there are quantitative and qualitative changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome following chemotherapy and allogeneic Tx which are linked to the immune status of the patients and possible treatment side-effects, in particular mucositis and GvHD. We aim to provide knowledge on how the host's intestinal mucosa and immune system influence the gastrointestinal microbiome and on the role and involvement of the gastrointestinal microbiota in development in mucositis and GvHD. Importantly, this could help in the formulation of measures to prevent mucositis and GvHD development.