Eva Maier

Citation

Thesis Title
Effect of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii on intestinal barrier function and immune homeostasis

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Various gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, are linked to chronic inflammation and changes in gut microbiota composition and function. In particular, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which has been suggested to exert beneficial effects, is reduced in the gut microbiota of people with gastrointestinal diseases. Few studies have investigated the mechanisms responsible for this bacterium's benefits, partly due to the difficulty of co-culturing gut bacteria that cannot survive in the presence of oxygen together with oxygen-requiring human intestinal epithelial cells. Using a novel in vitro model that allows this co-culture, Ms Maier investigated the effects of live F. prausnitzii on the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier and immune homeostasis. She found that live F. prausnitzii induced greater immuno-stimulatory effects than dead bacteria and that it maintained the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Her research has contributed to the understanding of how F. prausnitzii maintains homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract.

Supervisors
Dr Nicole Roy
Dr Rachel Anderson
Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan