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Dr Mona Bajaj-Elliot

  • Extension:

    42735

  • Email:

    m.bajaj-elliott@ucl.ac.uk

  • Appointments:

    Senior Lecturer, ICH - Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Dept of Infection & Immunity

Summary

 

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Research Summary

Maintaining homeostasis at mucosal surfaces is a complex affair. These interfaces have to provide protection and tolerance at the same time. With an epithelial lining that is only a single cell thick (unlike the hardy skin) protecting the underlying mucosa, the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract faces unique challenges. It has to co-exist with trillions of bacteria (unlike the sterile lung) called commensals (good bacteria) and yet provide protection against opportunistic enteropathogens (Enteropathogenic E. coli, Clostridium difficile, Salmonella and Campylobacter species). In addition to dealing with the microbial world, the GI mucosal immune system is central to aiding tolerance to food antigens. If not, immune-mediated (e.g. Celiac disease, Food allergy) or non-immune mediated inflammation may ensue.

The central hypothesis of our research is that GI health is maintained via appropriate cross-talk between the GI mucosal immune system (host genetics) and its luminal contents (microbiota/pathogens/food antigens). Our laboratory is focused on identifying both exogenous (microbial/food allergens) and host components that are involved in this interplay.  A better understanding of these multifaceted interactions holds the key for unlocking cellular events responsible for a variety of GI inflammatory conditions. 

Current areas of research include:

(a) Understanding Clostridium difficile-mediated antibiotic associated diarrhoea and related complications, which currently represent a significant health burden in the developed world.

(b) Understanding Campylobacter jejuni (a commensal of chicken gut)-mediated disease pathogenesis. Currently, this bacterium is the major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide.

(c) How do enteropathogens manipulate major host cellular processes (in particular the inflammasome and the autophagy machinery) leading to successful immune evasion.

(d) Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) disease pathogenesis

(e) Identify potential biomarkers for gut allergic diseases.

Research Activities

  • Immunopathogenesis of paediatric autoimmune diseas
  • pediatric sepsis

Recent Publications

Displaying 50 most recent publications. For the full list please visit UCL Discovery

  1. Dommett R,Chisholm J,Turner M,Bajaj-Elliott M,Klein NJ (2013) Mannose-binding lectin genotype influences frequency and duration of infectious complications in children with malignancy. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 35(1), 69 - 75. 10.1097/MPH.0b013e31827076e5.
  2. Stephenson HN,John CM,Naz N,Gundogdu O,Dorrell N,Wren BW,Jarvis GA,Bajaj-Elliott M (2013) Campylobacter jejuni lipooligosaccharide sialylation, phosphorylation and amide/ester linkage modifications fine-tune human Toll-like receptor 4 activation. J Biol Chem. 10.1074/jbc.M113.468298.
  3. Elmi A,Watson E,Sandu P,Gundogdu O,Mills DC,Inglis NF,Manson E,Imrie L,Bajaj-Elliott M,Wren BW,Smith DG,Dorrell N (2012) Campylobacter jejuni outer membrane vesicles play an important role in bacterial interactions with human intestinal epithelial cells. Infect Immun, 80(12), 4089 - 4098. 10.1128/IAI.00161-12.
  4. Pramanik N,Lucas M,Klein N,Bryant C,Bajaj-Elliott M (2012) Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli engages in temporal regulation of the inflammasome by interaction with NLRC4 and NALP3 IMMUNOLOGY, 137, 212 - 212.
  5. Milioris E,Iebba V,Klein NJ,Steevels T,Simmons A,Bajaj-Elliott M (2012) The impact of NOD2 3020insC mutation in microbial-driven host innate immunity IMMUNOLOGY, 137, 535 - 536.
  6. Mills DC,Gundogdu O,Elmi A,Bajaj-Elliott M,Taylor PW,Wren BW,Dorrell N (2012) Increase in Campylobacter jejuni invasion of intestinal epithelial cells under low-oxygen coculture conditions that reflect the in vivo environment. Infect Immun, 80(5), 1690 - 1698. 10.1128/IAI.06176-11.
  7. Edwards LA,Lucas M,Edwards EA,Torrente F,Heuschkel RB,Klein NJ,Murch SH,Bajaj-Elliott M,Phillips AD (2011) Aberrant response to commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in Crohn's disease: an ex vivo human organ culture study. Inflamm Bowel Dis, 17(5), 1201 - 1208. 10.1002/ibd.21501.
  8. Nistala K,Adams S,Cambrook H,Ursu S,Olivito B,de Jager W,Evans JG,Cimaz R,Bajaj-Elliott M,Wedderburn LR (2011) Th17 cells that undergo plasticity to a Th1 phenotype in human autoimmune arthritis can be detected by the expression of CD161 within the inflamed joint CLIN EXP RHEUMATOL, 29(2), 449 - 449.
  9. Edwards LA,Bajaj-Elliott M,Klein NJ,Murch SH,Phillips AD (2011) Bacterial-epithelial contact is a key determinant of host innate immune responses to enteropathogenic and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli. PLoS One, 6(10), e27030. 10.1371/journal.pone.0027030.
  10. Shah N,Cambrook H,Koglmeier J,Mason C,Ancliff P,Lindley K,Smith VV,Bajaj-Elliott M,Sebire NJ (2010) Enteropathic histopathological features may be associated with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. J Clin Pathol, 63(7), 592 - 594. 10.1136/jcp.2010.077677.
  11. Kazakos EI,Alhaj-Hussein B,Bajaj-Elliott M,Dorrell N (2010) In vitro effects of human beta-defensins on planktonic cells, bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation of the two sequenced strains of H-pylori HELICOBACTER, 15(4), 320 - 320.
  12. 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 One, 5(11), e15398. 10.1371/journal.pone.0015398.
  13. Edwards LA,Lucas M,Edwards EA,Torrente F,Heuschkel RB,Klein NJ,Murch SH,Bajaj-Elliott M,Phillips AD (2010) Aberrant response to commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in Crohn's disease: An ex vivo human organ culture study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 10.1002/ibd.21501.
  14. Nistala K,Adams S,Cambrook H,Ursu S,Olivito B,de Jager W,Evans JG,Cimaz R,Bajaj-Elliott M,Wedderburn LR (2010) Th17 plasticity in human autoimmune arthritis is driven by the inflammatory environment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 107(33), 14751 - 14756. 10.1073/pnas.1003852107.
  15. Shah N,Cambrook H,Koglmeirer J,Mason C,Ancliff P,Lindley K,Smith VV,Bajaj-Elliott M,Sebire NJ (2010) Enteropathic histopathological features may be associated with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome Journal of Clinical Pathology, 63(7), 592 - 594.
  16. Jafari NV,Allan E,Bajaj-Elliott M (2010) Human intestinal epithelial response(s) to Clostridium difficile. Methods Mol Biol, 646, 135 - 146. 10.1007/978-1-60327-365-7_9.
  17. Edwards LA,Nistala K,Mills DC,Dorrell N,Lindley KJ,Wedderburn L,Bajaj-Elliott M (2009) Campylobacter Jejuni-Mediated Effects On Dendritic Cell IL-12/IL-23 Axis: Impact On T Cell Mediated Immunity GASTROENTEROLOGY, 136(5), A707 - A707.
  18. Zilbauer M,Dorrell N,Nunez G,Klein NJ,Wren BW,Wirth S,Bajaj-Elliott M (2009) The role of NOD1 as major pattern recognition receptor for detection of Campylobacter jejuni by the intestinal epithelia EUR J PEDIATR, 168(3), 378 - 378.
  19. Dhaliwal W,Kelly P,Bajaj-Elliott M (2009) Differential effects of Staphylococcal enterotoxin B-mediated immune activation on intestinal defensins Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 156(2), 263 - 270.
  20. Choudhry N,Korbel DS,Edwards LA,Bajaj-Elliott M,McDonald V (2009) Dysregulation of interferon-gamma-mediated signalling pathway in intestinal epithelial cells by Cryptosporidium parvum infection Cellular Microbiology, 11(9), 1354 - 1364. 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2009.01336.x.
  21. Choudhry N,Korbel DS,Zaalouk TK,Blanshard C,Bajaj-Elliott M,McDonald V (2009) Interferon-gamma-mediated activation of enterocytes in immunological control of Encephalitozoon intestinalis infection. Parasite Immunol, 31(1), 2 - 9. 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2008.01068.x.
  22. Zilbauer M,Dorrell N,Wren BW,Bajaj-Elliott M (2008) Campylobacter jejuni-mediated disease pathogenesis: an update Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 102(2), 123 - 129.
  23. Choudhry N,Bajaj-Elliott M,McDonald V (2008) Terminal Sialic Acid of Glycoconjugates on the Surface of Intestinal Epithelial Cells Activates Excystation of Cryptosporidium parvum Infection and Immunity, 76(8), 3735 - 3741.
  24. Dzwonek AB,Neth OW,Thiebaut R,Gulczynska E,Chilton M,Hellwig T,Bajaj-Elliott M,Hawdon J,Klein NJ (2008) The role of mannose-binding lectin in susceptibility to infection in preterm neonates Pediatr Res, 63(6), 680 - 685.
  25. Kazakos E,Bisiklis A,Alexiou-Daniel S,Bajaj-Elliott M (2007) Activity of human beta-defensin 3 against metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS, 29, S92 - S92.
  26. Zilbauer M,Dorrell N,Elmi A,Nunez G,Klein NJ,Wren BW,Bajaj-Elliott M (2007) A major role for intestinal epithelial nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD) protein NOD1 in mediating host bactericidal activity against Campylobacter jejuni ZOONOSES PUBLIC HLTH, 54, 148 - 148.
  27. 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 (vol 9, pg 2404, 2007) CELL MICROBIOL, 9(10), 2541 - 2541. 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2007.01008.x.
  28. 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. Cellular Microbiology, 9(10), 2404 - 2416. 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2007.00969.x.
  29. Edwards L,Murch S,Heuschkel R,Torrente F,Klein N,Bajaj-Elliott M,Phillips AD (2007) Human intestinal in vitro organ culture response to bacterial exposure in Crohn's disease J PEDIATR GASTR NUTR, 44, 23 - 23.
  30. Zilbauer M,Dorrell N,Elmi A,Lindley K,Klein N,Nunez G,Wren B,Bajaj-Elliott M (2007) A major role for intestinal epithelial nucleotide oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) in mediating host bactericidal activity against Campylobacter jejuni J PEDIATR GASTR NUTR, 44, 116 - 116.
  31. Edwards LA,Murch S,Klein N,Bajaj-Elliott M,Phillips AD (2007) Probiotic and commensal bacteria differentially regulate intestinal epithelial cell innate defence gene expression J PEDIATR GASTR NUTR, 44, 138 - 138.
  32. Elmi AD,Zilbauer M,Bajaj-Elliott M,Wren B,Dorrell N (2007) Investigation of the role of two Campylobacter jejuni glycoproteins during bacterial interactions with human intestinal epithelial cells ZOONOSES PUBLIC HLTH, 54, 99 - 99.
  33. McDonald V,Pollok RC,Dhaliwal W,Naik S,Farthing MJ,Bajaj-Elliott M (2006) A potential role for interleukin-18 in inhibition of the development of Cryptosporidium parvum Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 145(3), 555 - 562.
  34. Dommett RM,Bajaj-Elliott M,Chisholm J,Klein N (2006) Influence of mannose binding lectin (MBL) gene polymorphisms on infectious complications during treatment for childhood malignancy. BLOOD, 108(11), 370A - 370A.
  35. Kelly P,Bajaj-Elliott M,Katubulushi M,Zulu I,Poulsom R,Feldman RA,Bevins CL,Dhaliwal W (2006) Reduced gene expression of intestinal alpha-defensins predicts diarrhea in a cohort of African adults The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 193(10), 1464 - 1470.
  36. Dzwonek A,Novelli V,Bajaj-Elliott M,Turner M,Clapson M,Klein N (2006) Mannose-binding lectin in susceptibility and progression of HIV-1 infection in children Antiviral Therapy, 11(4), 499 - 505.
  37. Boughan PK,Argent RH,Body-Malapel M,Park JH,Ewings KE,Bowie AG,Ong SJ,Cook SJ,Sorensen OE,Manzo BA,Klein NJ,Nunez G,Atherton JC,Bajaj-Elliott M (2006) Nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain-1 (NOD-1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR): Critical regulators of beta -defensins during helicobacter pylori infection Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281(17), 11637 - 11648. 10.1074/jbc.M510275200.
  38. Hatzifoti C,Roussel Y,Harris AG,Wren BW,Morrow JW,Bajaj-Elliott M (2006) Mucosal immunization with a urease B DNA vaccine induces innate and cellular immune responses against Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter, 11(2), 113 - 122.
  39. Manzo BA,Crabtree JE,Fiona Campbell M,Tweedle D,Potten CS,Bajaj-Elliott M,Sanderson IR,Wilson JW (2006) Helicobacter pylori regulates the expression of inhibitors of DNA binding (Id) proteins by gastric epithelial cells Microbes Infect, 8(4), 1064 - 1074.
  40. Zilbauer M,Dorrell N,Boughan PK,Harris A,Wren BW,Klein NJ,Bajaj-Elliott M (2005) Intestinal innate immunity to Campylobacter jejuni results in induction of bactericidal human beta-defensins 2 and 3 Infection and Immunity, 73(11), 7281 - 7289. 10.1128/IAI.73.11.7281-7289.2005.
  41. Boughan PK,Argent RH,Bowie AG,Ong SJ,Cook SJ,Sorensen O,Klein NJ,Atherton JC,Bajaj-Elliott M (2005) Modulation of gastric epithelial human beta-defensins (HBD)-2 and -3 during Helicobacter pylori infection Helicobacter, 10(5), 494 - 494.
  42. Neth OW,Bajaj-Elliott M,Turner MW,Klein NJ (2005) Susceptibility to infection in patients with neutropenia: the role of the innate immune system British Journal of Haematology, 129(6), 713 - 722.
  43. Dommett R,Zilbauer M,George JT,Bajaj-Elliott M (2005) Innate immune defence in the human gastrointestinal tract Molecular Immunology, 42(8), 903 - 912.
  44. Kazakos EI,Harris A,Ong SJ,Boughan PK,Curtis M,Bajaj-Elliott M (2005) Host innate immune response to Helicobacter pylori infection Helicobacter, 10(5), 496 - 496.
  45. Bajaj-Elliott M,Turner M (2005) Innate immunity in health and disease MOL IMMUNOL, 42(8), 857 - 858.
  46. McDonald SA,O'Grady JE,Bajaj-Elliott M,Notley CA,Alexander J,Brombacher F,McDonald V (2004) Protection against the early acute phase of Cryptosporidium parvum infection conferred by interleukin-4-induced expression of T helper 1 cytokines. J Infect Dis, 190(5), 1019 - 1025. 10.1086/422761.
  47. Zilbauer M,Dorrell N,Wren BW,Klein NJ,Bajaj-Elliott M (2004) Host innate defence to Campylobacter jejuni PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY 2004, 375 - 379.
  48. Zilbauer M,Dorrell N,George J,Boughan P,Bajaj-Elliott M (2004) The role of human beta-defensins during Campylobacter jejuni infection GASTROENTEROLOGY, 126(4), A562 - A562.
  49. Boughan PK,George JT,Argent R,Atherton J,Bajaj-Elliott M (2004) Regulation of host innate immune responses during H-pylori infection GASTROENTEROLOGY, 126(4), A532 - A533.
  50. Zaalouk TK,Bajaj-Elliott M,George JT,McDonald V (2004) Antimicrobial activity of beta defensins against Cryptosporidium parvum GUT, 53, A65 - A66.

Biography

 

Qualifications

  • 1984: Doctor of Philosophy, Birkbeck College
  • 1980: Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of London