Research

Our service is committed to scientific research to better understand what causes the conditions we treat. All research studies are approved by Addenbrooke’s or a Regional  Ethical Committee as well as the Research and Development Committee before they start.

 

Most research in paediatric gastroenterology requires small amounts of blood / biopsy tissue to be collected during endoscopy. Our team may therefore ask you and your child about taking part in these research studies.

 

Information sheets and consent forms should be given to you together with the other information you need about your child’s admission and procedure. Everything will be fully explained again to you before the procedure and you may opt not to have research samples taken at any time.

 

Details of research studies that are currently in progress can be found below:

 

Research studies

Parent/carer’s invitation to participate in research concerning diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in children (45 KB)

Invitation for children aged >10 years to participate in research concerning disease of the gastrointestinal tract (73 KB)

Appendix 1 - outline of research project - Antimicrobial peptides in paediatric Crohn’s disease (35 KB)

Consent form for research project - Antimicrobial peptides in paediatric Crohn’s disease (37 KB)

Research protocol (57 KB)

 

 

Research activities:

Dr. Matthias Zilbauer joined the department as full time clinical lecturer and has since then has made good progress in building up the academic/research aspect of our unit. Our overall aim is to establish an active paediatric gastroenterology research unit undertaking both translational basic research as well as clinical trials and studies.

Please find in the following section a brief summary of the main research projects, which are currently being undertaken and/or in the planning stages.

Theme: Epigenetics in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Epigenetics can be defined as the study of inherited changes in phenotype (appearance) or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. As one of the main epigenetic mechanisms, DNA methylation has been shown to play a major role in regulating gene expression and has been implicated in pathogenesis of several multifactorial, autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

 

The overall aim of this project is to investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating gene expression in the immune system and their impact on gastro intestinal (GI) disease pathogenesis specifically IBD.

Theme: Antimicrobial peptides and mucosal innate immunity in paediatric IBD

We have been investigating expression of intestinal epithelial defensins (human alpha- and beta-defensins) in mucosal biopsies from children with IBD and healthy controls. Results have recently been published (see list of publications below).

 

One of the most interesting and intriguing findings was the high level of alpha-defensin expression in the inflamed colon of children with IBD (both Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) through metaplastic Paneth Cells. A two-year project grant awarded by the Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association (CICRA) will allow us to investigate the potential role of this phenomenon in IBD disease pathogenesis.

 

Grants and research funding raised:

• £ 62,000 Project grant awarded by the Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association (CICRA)
• £ 10,000 Support from the Crohn’s and Colitis in Childhood (3Cs) Charity
• Around £10,000 obtained through charitable donations (incl. Bartlow walk, CCUK, Rotary Club)

 

Publications 2009 to present

Feasibility of a finger prick-based self-testing kit in first- and second-degree relatives of children with coeliac disease. Pichler J, Zilbauer M, Torrente F, Heuschkel R, Phillips A, Salvestrini C. World J Gastroenterol. 2011 Apr 14;17(14):1840-3.

 

Aberrant response to commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in Crohn's disease: An ex vivo human organ culture study. Edwards LA, Lucas M, Edwards EA, Torrente F, Heuschkel RB, Klein NJ, Murch SH, Bajaj-Elliott M, Phillips AD. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011 May;17(5):1201-8.

 

A British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition survey of the effectiveness and safety of adalimumab in children with inflammatory bowel disease. Russell RK, Wilson ML, Loganathan S, Bourke B, Kiparissi F, Mahdi G, Torrente F, Rodrigues A, Davies I, Thomas A, Akobeng AK, Fagbemi A, Hyer W, Spray C, Vaish S, Rogers P, McGrogan P, Heuschkel RB, Ayub N, Fell JM, Afzal NA, Green M, Murphy MS, Rao P, Shah N, Ho GT, Naik S, Wilson DC. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Apr;33(8):946-53.

 

Intestinal alpha-defensin expression in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Zilbauer M, Jenke A, Wenzel G, Goedde D, Postberg J, Phillips AD, Lucas M, Noble-Jamieson G, Torrente F, Salvestrini C, Heuschkel R, Wirth S.
Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2010 Dec 16. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Expression of human beta-defensins in children with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Zilbauer M, Jenke A, Wenzel G, Postberg J, Heusch A, Phillips AD, Noble-Jamieson G, Torrente F, Salvestrini C, Heuschkel R, Wirth S.  PLoS One. 2010 Oct 22;5(10):e15389.

 

Laparoscopic adult colorectal surgeon and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: a safe combination? Courtney ED, Brennan M, Noble-Jamieson G, Heuschkel R, Davies RJ. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2011 Mar;26(3):357-60.

 

Enteral nutrition should be used to induce remission in childhood Crohn's disease. Heuschkel R. Dig Dis. 2009;27(3):297-305.

 

Role of small-bowel endoscopy in the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease: an international OMED-ECCO consensus. Bourreille A, Ignjatovic A, Aabakken L, Loftus EV Jr, Eliakim R, Pennazio M, Bouhnik Y, Seidman E, Keuchel M, Albert JG, Ardizzone S, Bar-Meir S, Bisschops R, Despott EJ, Fortun PF, Heuschkel R, Kammermeier J, Leighton JA, Mantzaris GJ, Moussata D, Lo S, Paulsen V, Panés J, Radford-Smith G, Reinisch W, Rondonotti E, Sanders DS, Swoger JM, Yamamoto H, Travis S, Colombel JF, Van Gossum A; World Organisation of Digestive Endoscopy (OMED) and the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO). Endoscopy. 2009 Jul;41(7):618-37.

 

Infliximab therapy in children with concurrent perianal Crohn disease: observations from REACH. Crandall W, Hyams J, Kugathasan S, Griffiths A, Zrubek J, Olson A, Liu G, Heuschkel R, Markowitz J, Cohen S, Winter H, Veereman-Wauters G, Ferry G, Baldassano RN. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2009 Aug;49(2):183-90.

 

Defining eosinophilic colitis in children: insights from a retrospective case series. Behjati S, Zilbauer M, Heuschkel R, Phillips A, Salvestrini C, Torrente F, Bates AW. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2009 Aug;49(2):208-15

 

Intussusception: incidence and treatment-insights from the nationwide German surveillance. Jenke AC, Klaaen-Mielke R, Zilbauer M, Heininger U, Trampisch H, Wirth S. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2011 Apr;52(4):446-51.

 

H3.5 is a novel hominid-specific histone H3 variant that is specifically expressed in the seminiferous tubules of human testes. Schenk R, Jenke A, Zilbauer M, Wirth S, Postberg J. Chromosoma. 2011 Jan 28. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Delineation of the innate and adaptive T-cell immune outcome in the human host in response to Campylobacter jejuni infection. Edwards LA, Nistala K, Mills DC, Stephenson HN, Zilbauer M, Wren BW, Dorrell N, Lindley KJ, Wedderburn LR, Bajaj-Elliott M. PLoS One. 2010 Nov 9;5(11):e15398.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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