John Worthington

John Worthington

Senior Lecturer in Infection Biology, Lancaster University
The intestinal epithelium offers the first interaction between commensal bacteria, pathogens and our bodies’ largest immune system. Inappropriate immune responses drive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or excessive inflammation during infection. My research focuses on the epithelial enteroendocrine cells (EECs), which release peptide hormones in response to nutrients allowing their efficient digestion. EEC alterations are strongly associated with inflammation, yet the possibility of interactions between our gut’s endocrine and immune systems remains overlooked. Understanding the mechanistic cross-talk between enteroendocrine and immune cells will identify the immunoendocrine axis as a key feature of intestinal health which could be therapeutically targeted during disease.

More from this expert

A middle-aged man from Florida with a history of migraines saw his GP. After the CT scan, something alarming was revealed: his brain was infested with tapeworm cysts...

Clinical Articles iconClinical Articles

Upcoming Healthed Webcast

Tune in for "Facial rashes case studies - Practical guide to assessment and management" lecture

Tuesday 9th June, 7pm - 9pm AEST

Speaker

Dr Philip Tong

Consultant Dermatologist; Founder, DermScreen, Dermatology Junction; Visiting Medical Officer, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney

What does it mean when a facial red rash does not respond to topical steroids and gets worse with the treatment? Dermatologist Dr Philip Tong presents a series of cases with this scenario.