Research Interests

The human gastrointestinal tract houses a large number of microbes, collectively known as the microbiota that supports host metabolism, immune development and pathogen resistance. Intestinal dysbiosis, disruption of bacterial diversity in the gut, can result from antibiotic use or pathogenic infection and has been strongly linked to increased disease susceptibility. This dysbiosis-induced susceptibility indicates that normal commensal bacteria are capable of preventing disease; however, mechanisms involved in key host-commensal interactions are still largely unknown.

We seek mechanistic insights into the influence of commensal microbes on both intestinal infections and inflammation and systemic immune responses. These fundamental insights will give us a better understanding of infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and even cancer, and will enable the development of new approaches to combat these diseases. Using in vivo models, cellular immunology, transcriptomics and proteomics and working closely with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, we characterise the complex interactions between the commensal microbial community, intestinal epithelium and adaptive immune cells.

Key Publications

Hoytema van Konijnenburg DP … Pedicord VA … Mucida D. Intestinal epithelial and intraepithelial T cell crosstalk mediates a dynamic response to infection. Cell 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.08.046

Pedicord VA et al. Exploiting a host-commensal interaction to promote intestinal barrier function and enteric pathogen tolerance. Science Immunology 2016. DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aai7732

Rangan KJ, Pedicord VA … Hang HC. A secreted bacterial peptidoglycan hydrolase enhances tolerance to enteric pathogens. Science 2016. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf3552

Loschko J … Pedicord VA … Nussenzweig MC. Absence of MHC class II on cDCs results in microbial-dependent intestinal inflammation. Journal of Experimental Medicine 2016. DOI: 10.1084/jem.20160062