Dear All,

I would like to cordially invite you to the next Nencki Institute Seminar which will take place at 3pm on the 27^th of January. Dr Tomasz Wypych, head of the Laboratory of Host-Microbe Interactions at the Nencki Institute, will give a lecture entitled: Harnessing gut microbiota-derived metabolites to combat acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Abstract

The gut microbiota is a collection of microbes, which inhabit our intestines. It is becoming apparent that the interactions between these microorganisms and human cells are central to maintain health and become dysregulated in disease. Despite this, one question remains unanswered: how does the gut microbiota influence immune function in distal body organs, such as the lungs?

In our previous work, we identified five metabolites that reached the airways via the bloodstream and correlated with anti-inflammatory responses in the lungs. We tested a causative relationship of one compound, p-cresol sulfate (PCS), an end product of L-tyrosine metabolism by the gut bacteria. In vitro, PCS inhibited the production of a dendritic cell chemoattractant, CCL20, by lung epithelial cells. In vivo, when administered intravenously, it protected mice against asthma. Because CCL20-dendritic cell circuit plays a role in the pathogenesis of other diseases, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, we aim to extend the utility of PCS treatment beyond asthma. To do this, we are administering PCS intranasally into mice in the course of lipopolysaccharide-induced ARDS. In addition, by using an in vitro screening platform optimized in our lab, we are searching for novel metabolites capable of inhibiting ARDS biomarkers, with the aim to test their efficacy in vivo.

Our results may constitute the first step towards the development of these metabolites as drugs, e.g. in a form of a nasal spray, a clinically desirable route that localizes the response and reduces the possible off-target effects.

Please use the following link: https://zoom.us/j/98222231110?pwd=Uyt6Q29BaGlLSXBsUnJRQnpWc0pJZz09 

Meeting ID: 982 2223 1110
Passcode: 795926

Best regards,
Aleksandra Pękowska