Immunology Program

The Gretchen Diehl Lab

Research

Gretchen Diehl, PhD

The intestinal immune system faces a number of unique challenges due to continuous exposure to rapidly changing exogenous factors including diet and intestinal microbes. Proper calibration of responses is needed to clear invading pathogens as well as repair damage. Over enthusiastic responses within the intestine impair barrier repair, amplifying damage and potentially lead to systemic infection or chronic inflammatory disease including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We find that the intestinal microbiota and dietary factors can promote or inhibit proper immune regulation. As such, we seek to define molecular and cellular pathways regulated by the microbiota, dietary, and tissue factors that are required to maintain homeostasis within the intestine. In defining upstream signals, we are working to understand microbial pathways and how they modulate tissue immunity. In parallel, we seek to delineate how these networks are disrupted in inflammatory conditions.

Publications

Kim M., Hill A.A., Wu W-J., Diehl G.E., 2019. Intestinal microbes direct CX₃CR1⁺ cells to balance intestinal immunity. Gut Microbes. 10: 540-546. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2018.1559683

Yuan X., Chang C-Y., You R., Shan M., Gu B-H., Madison M., Diehl, G.E., Perusich S., Song L-Z., Cornwell L., Rossen R., Wetsel R.A., Rajapakshe K., Coarfa C., Eltzschig H.K., Corry D., Kheradmand K., 2019. Cigarette smoke-induced reduction of C1q promotes emphysema. JCI Insight. 5. pii:124317. PMCID: PMC6629245.

Kim M., Gu B., Maddison M.C., Song H., Norwood K., Hill A.A., Wu W-J, Corry D., Kheradmand F., Diehl G.E., 2019. Cigarette Smoke Induces Intestinal Inflammation via a Th17 cell-Neutrophil Axis. Frontiers in Immunology. PMCID: PMC6361762.

Castellanos J.G., Woo V., Viladomiu M., Perez A.R., Putzel G., Lima S., Diehl G.E., Marderstein A., Gandara J., Perez A.R., Withers D.R., Targan S.R., Shih D.Q., Scherl E.J., Longman R.S., 2018. Microbiota-induced TNF-like Ligand 1A drives group 3 innate lymphoid cell-mediated barrier protection and intestinal T cell activation during colitis. Immunity. 49:1077-1089.e5.

Kim M., Galan C., Hill A.A., Wu W-J., Felhner-Peach H., Song H., Schady D., Bettini M.L., Simpson K.W., Longman R.S., Littman D.R., Diehl G.E., 2018. Critical role for the microbiota in CX₃CR1⁺ intestinal mononuclear phagocyte regulation of intestinal T cell responses. Immunity. 49:151-163

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People

Gretchen Diehl, PhD

The Diehl lab studies how the microbiota and other exogenous factors regulate development and function of the intestinal immune system.
PhD, University of California, Berkeley