Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects over 100,000 Australians and costs $400M annually. Worryingly, nearly 1/3 of patients do not respond to current treatments and the disease is steadily increasing in its prevalence, especially in young people in which symptoms tend to be much more severe. There is no cure for IBD, and treatment options are often ineffective because we still do not know the underlying cause of the disease. Advancements in this area will only come if we have a better understanding of the pathogenesis of IBD.

IBD occurs when the immune system fails to tolerate harmless gut bacteria, but the cause is currently unknown. We investigate the immunology underlying IBD in a physiologically relevant human setting. Our group consists of mucosal immunologists, colorectal surgeons and bioinformaticians. Our research utilises human intestinal tissue freshly discarded from surgery, and we have pioneered immune cell isolation protocols allowing us to carry out functional assays. We have used high parameter flow cytometry and imaging mass cytometry to define the immune cell profile of tissue affected by IBD and revealed that certain subsets of dendritic cells play a role in mediating IBD. We have also interrogated these tissues for viral signatures in order to determine if IBD, like other autoimmune diseases, is linked to viral infection.

Understanding the underlying mechanisms that cause IBD in humans will pave the way for more effective treatment strategies and a cure.

Professor Andrew Harman (left) and Dr Kirstie Bertram (right) discussing their research with IBD sufferer Maddie Millard (centre,) giving her hope for a better future.

Professors Andrew Harman and Scott Byrne in theatre with collaborating colorectal surgeons Associate Professor James Toh (left) and Dr Nimalan Pathma-Nathan (right).