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Welcome to the Vincent van Unen Research Group at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). Our research focuses on mucosal immunology, with a special emphasis on immune-mediated inflammatory disorders affecting human tissues.
We are located at the Department of Immunology at LUMC in the Netherlands.
Research
Our research focuses on understanding how the immune system interacts with intestinal tissues in both health and disease.
A core aspect of our research is the development of Systems Immunology approaches, integrating advanced single-cell and spatial technologies with computational tools.
We employ methods like high-dimensional cytometry (CyTOF, spectral-flow), single-cell RNA sequencing, imaging mass cytometry, spatial transcriptomics, and T cell culture to investigate immune cell populations and their interactions within the intestinal environment.
Additionally, we utilize three-dimensional in vitro organoid models to replicate human intestinal tissues, preserving the integrity of the epithelium, supportive stroma, and native immune cells.
These models provide a controlled setting to functionally study human immune mechanisms within tissues.
Our key interests include:
- Investigating human immune-mediated inflammatory intestinal diseases (celiac, inflammatory bowel disease).
- Developing System Immunology approaches to study human disease.
- Performing fundamental research on the development of the immune system in the intestine.
By applying these advanced methodologies, we aim to dissect key immune mechanisms driving disease, with the goal of improving diagnostic precision and developing more effective treatments for chronic intestinal conditions.
Recent News
New Mucosal Immunology paper: tissue-embedded CD4+ plasticity defines mucosal immunity in IBD
We are excited to share our new paper in Mucosal Immunology, revealing how inflammatory and regulatory CD4+ T cell programmes coexist, branch, and persist within intestinal tissue in inflammatory bowel disease.
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Funding
