University Associate Professor and Hon. Consultant

Matthias Zilbauer is interested in taking PhD students.

Email: mz304@cam.ac.uk
Office Phone: 01223 336889

Websites:

• • Cambridge Immunology Network
  • Paediatric Gastroenterology Clinical Team

Biography

• 2001 MD, University of Mainz, Germany

• 2007 PhD, Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK

• 2009 Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

• 2010 Completion of training in general paediatrics ( Facharzt fuer Kinder-
und Jugendmedizin, on GMC specialist register for Paediatrics)

• 2012 Habilitation (venia legendi) at Witten/Herdecke University, Germany

• 2013 Completion of training in paediatric gastroenterology (certified by the
German Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology – GPGE)

Research Interest

The main focus of our group lies on investigating the human intestinal mucosa in health as well as disease, particularly Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). IBD causes chronic relapsing inflammation of the large bowel (Ulcerative Colitis, UC) or the entire gastrointestinal tract (Crohn’s Disease, CD). The proportion of patients diagnosed with this condition during childhood is rapidly increasing and currently accounts for up to 30%. Disease pathogenesis of IBD remains ill-defined in many aspects although genetic factors, environmental influences as well as the intestinal microbiome are all recognised as playing a major role in either causing and/or maintaining the observed inflammatory phenotype. Treating children suffering from IBD is challenging. One of the major problems clinicians are currently facing is the fact that disease progression varies substantially between individuals, and there are still no valid predictors of outcome. Hence, individualising treatments to prevent disease progression and a poor clinical outcome, remains impossible.

Overall, research in our group aims to advance knowledge in IBD disease pathogenesis, whilst applying this knowledge to clinical needs, ultimately improving the life of children suffering with IBD. Current projects therefore include investigating basic biological mechanisms (i.e. epigenetics), identification of disease prognostic biomarkers and improved markers to monitor disease progression, as well as optimising existing treatment/management options in order to improve clinical care (i.e. Improve Care Now network).

Research Projects

Epigenetics in intestinal health and disease

Clinical Trials in Paediatric Gastroenterology

Information for Patients and Parents

 

 Keywords

• • • • Epigenetics
      • mucosal immunology
      • DNA methylation
      • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
      • Paediatrics
      • intestinal innate immunity

Key Publications

1. Kraiczy J, Nayak KM, Howell KJ, Ross A, Forbester J, Salvestrini C, Mustata R, Perkins S, Andersson-Rolf A, Leenen E, Liebert A, Vallier L, Rosenstiel P, Stegle O, Dougan G, Heuschkel R, Koo BK & Zilbauer M. DNA methylation defines regional identity of human intestinal epithelial organoids and undergoes dynamic changes during development. GUT: In press. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl -2017-314817
2. Howell KJ, Kraiczy J, Nayak KM, Gasparetto M, Ross A, Lee C, Mak TN, Koo BK, Kumar N, Lawley T, Sinha A, Rosenstiel P, Heuschkel R, Stegle O, Zilbauer M. 2017. DNA Methylation and Transcription Patterns in Intestinal Epithelial Cells From Pediatric Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Differentiate Disease Subtypes and Associate With Outcome. Gastroenterology pii: S0016-5085(17)36241-8. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.10.007. [Epub ahead of print]
3. Kraiczy J, Nayak K, Ross A, Raine T, Mak TN, Gasparetto M, Cario E, Rakyan V, Heuschkel R and Zilbauer M. 2016. Assessing DNA methylation in the developing human intestinal epithelium: potential link to inflammatory bowel disease. Mucosal Immunology 9: 647–658; doi:10.1038/mi.2015.88
4. Zilbauer M, Rayner TF, Clark C, Coffey AJ, Joyce CJ, Palta P, Palotie A, Lyons PA, Smith KG. 2013. Genome-wide methylation analyses of primary human leukocyte subsets identifies functionally important cell-type specific hypomethylated regions. Blood: 122(25): e52–e60
5. Jenke AC, Postberg J, Raine T, Nayak KM, Molitor M, Wirth S, Kaser A, Parkes M, Heuschkel RB, Orth V, Zilbauer M. 2013. DNA methylation analysis in the intestinal epithelium-effect of cell separation on gene expression and methylation profile. PLoS One8: e55636
6. Jenke AC, Zilbauer M. 2012. Epigenetics in inflammatory bowel disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 28: 577-84
7. Zilbauer M, Dorrell N, Elmi A, Lindley KJ, Schuller S, Jones HE, Klein NJ, Nunez G, Wren BW, Bajaj-Elliott M. 2007. A major role for intestinal epithelial nucleotide oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) in eliciting host bactericidal immune responses to Campylobacter jejuni. Cell Microbiol9: 2404-16
8. Zilbauer M, Jenke A, Wenzel G, Goedde D, Postberg J, Phillips AD, Lucas M, Noble-Jamieson G, Torrente F, Salvestrini C, Heuschkel R, Wirth S. 2011. Intestinal alpha-defensin expression in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis17: 2076-86
9. Schenk R, Jenke A, Zilbauer M, Wirth S, Postberg J. 2011. H3.5 is a novel hominid-specific histone H3 variant that is specifically expressed in the seminiferous tubules of human testes.Chromosoma120: 275-85
10. Edwards LA, Nistala K, Mills DC, Stephenson HN, Zilbauer M, Wren BW, Dorrell N, Lindley KJ, Wedderburn LR, Bajaj-Elliott M. 2010. Delineation of the innate and adaptive T-cell immune outcome in the human host in response to Campylobacter jejuni infection. PLoS One5: e15398