Jashim Uddin

Research focus: I am working to understand the host immune response against a protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica). E. histolytica infection causes amebic colitis, amebic liver abscess, and childhood diarrhea. Through contaminated food and water E. histolytica enters into the host gut, infects intestinal epithelial cells and causes tissue injury and cellular death. My research focuses to unravel the host protective immune response in the gut against E. histolytica. We observed that amebic infection increases IL-33 protein and mRNA expression in mice and humans. I have shown that exogenous IL-33 administration protects mice from amebiasis. Currently, I am working to investigate the downstream mechanism of IL-33 mediated protection to amebiasis.