Model Disease

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop an in vitro model based on human duodenal organoids for the study of interactions between the human intestinal epithelium and enteric pathogens. Patients subjected to surgical removal of a portion of the duodenum for clinical indications, with availability of histologically normal duodenal tissue, will be asked to donate residual biological material for research purposes. The model generation procedure includes isolating intestinal stem cells from duodenal tissue, generating 3D intestinal organoids, expanding and differentiating the organoids, and inducing epithelial polarisation and maturation through air-liquid interface culture. Fully differentiated organoids will be used in in vitro co-culture experiments to assess pathogen viability, as well as the development of host epithelial responses to pathogens or their derivatives. Transcriptomic and proteomic data will also be obtained.