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The major focus of my lab is to decipher the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of liver diseases to discover therapies and molecular targets to alleviate it. Our current research is focused on uncovering the intricacies of the gut microbiome-host immune system interactions during liver diseases. Our work published in Nature Communications (2023 Impact Factor = 14.7) demonstrated that gastric acid suppression contributes to alcohol-associated liver disease in mice and humans. This is mediated by the overgrowth of intestinal Enterococcus and its translocation to the liver. During my appointment as Assistant Professor in August 2019, our efforts to study the role of Enterococcus in alcohol-related liver disease resulted in a co-first authorship in the prestigious journal Nature (2023 Impact Factor = 50.5). Briefly, we found that alcoholic hepatitis in humans is associated with the presence of a pore-forming toxin called cytolysin produced by Enterococcus faecalis. Cytolytic Enterococcus faecalis was determined as a novel predictor of mortality in alcoholic hepatitis patients. We also used a novel precision approach using bacteriophages as a therapeutic strategy to reduce ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. Among other efforts, we also assessed the contribution of intestinal α1-2-fucosylation to obesity and steatohepatitis in mice. This work was published as a co-first author in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2023 Impact Factor = 7.1). Currently, my research program is centered on the investigation of the role of the neuro-immune regulation mediated by small intestinal goblet cell-associated antigen passages (GAPs) and their crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, with a specific focus on preventing bacterial translocation and the development of alcohol-associated liver disease. Our research has led to the development of an innovative intervention aimed at preventing alcohol-related liver disease. We have submitted a patent application for the mAChR4 agonist as a treatment for alcohol-associated liver disease.
I have contributed to 40 accepted publications in the field of the intestinal microbiome, mycobiome, and liver disease and published first-author manuscripts in high-impact journals such as Nature (2020 Impact Factor = 49.962), Nature Communications (2020 Impact Factor = 14.919), Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2020 Impact Factor = 9.225) and co-authored in journals such as Journal of Hepatology (2020 Impact Factor = 25.083), Cell Host and Microbe journal (2020 Impact Factor = 21.023), Hepatology (2020 Impact Factor = 17.425) and Journal of Clinical Investigation (2020 Impact Factor = 14.808) among others.
My research program is designed with a singular focus: delving into the complexities of the intestinal microbiome, the dynamics of intestinal homeostasis, in particular, the intricate interactions with the mucosal immune system, and its implications in the pathogenesis of liver disease. My research is translational, and my program aims to find cures for liver diseases. Liver disease, much like numerous other health conditions, can disproportionately impact historically marginalized or underrepresented communities.