Gregory F. Sonnenberg PhD

Dr. Gregory F. Sonnenberg, newly recruited to the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, has published breakthrough findings in Science on how the immune system prevents chronic inflammation in the intestine. In earlier research, he and his team had identified a new member of the innate immune system – innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) which interact with T cells in the GI tract. The new findings in Science reveal that ILCs directly educate T cells in the intestine to not attack beneficial bacteria, and that impairment of ILC function leads to severe intestinal inflammation.

Critically, they also demonstrate that loss of MHCII (a type of machinery that delivers signals to T cells) on ILCs is linked to pro-inflammatory cells in patients with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).