Philippe Sansonetti

Philippe Sansonetti is interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of gut homeostasis and pathology, respectively in the presence of commensal and pathogenic bacteria. As a model of pathogenesis, he studies Shigella, Gram-negative bacteria that cause bacillary dysentery. His goal is to decipher the molecular and cellular bases of Shigella's rupture, invasion, inflammatory destruction, and immune subversion of the intestinal mucosa. In the mechanisms of immune subversion reside candidate molecules and signaling pathways he exploits for the development of novel therapeutic and prophylactic approaches. As a model of homeostasis, he studies intestinal colonization by commensal bacteria such as Lactobacillus. He also analyzes how commensal bacteria affect the physiology of intestinal crypts, a critical area of the epithelium where stem cells achieve renewal of the epithelial lining. Rupture of these homeostatic mechanisms may cause severe pathologies such as inflammatory bowel diseases and cancer