Tom Van de Wiele lab

Prof. Dr. Ir. Tom Van de Wiele

Email: tom.vandewiele@ugent.be

Research topic

The core expertise of Host Microbe Interaction Technology group is the creation and application of in vitro enabling technologies that mimic the host-microbe interphase with particular focus on mucosal microenvironments. Model systems such as M-SHIME (a mucosa containing dynamic gut model) can be used to generate mechanistic insight in host-microbe interactions and complement in vivo observations. This is particularly important to increase our understanding of how the microbiome can modulate host health, either through production of specific metabolites, establishing colonization resistance against pathogens, modulating immunity, triggering local inflammation etc... Such dynamic human gut models allow the screening of a wide variety of candidate drugs, functional foods and/or feeds before a more narrow selection enters the stage of in vivo trials. The research of Tom Van de Wiele has resulted in a scientific output of more than 230 peer-reviewed international publications and the participation as invited and keynote speaker in many international conferences.

Areas of expertise

  • Human microbiome
  • Microbial Ecology
  • Microbial dysbiosis
  • In vitro technology
  • Human nutrition
  • Microbiome impact on pharmacokinetics

Selected publications

  1. De Paepe K, Verspreet J, Courtin CM, Van de Wiele T.
    Microbial succession during wheat bran fermentation and colonisation by human faecal microbiota as a result of niche diversification.
    ISME J. 2020 Feb;14(2):584-596. doi: 10.1038/s41396-019-0550-5.
  2. Chassaing B, Van de Wiele T, De Bodt J, Marzorati M, Gewirtz AT.
    Dietary emulsifiers directly alter human microbiota composition and gene expression ex vivo potentiating intestinal inflammation.
    Gut. 2017 Aug;66(8):1414-1427. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-313099.
  3. Van de Wiele T, Van Praet JT, Marzorati M, Drennan MB, Elewaut D.
    How the microbiota shapes rheumatic diseases.
    Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2016 Jul;12(7):398-411. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2016.85.
  4. Van Praet JT, Donovan E, Vanassche I, Drennan MB, Windels F, Dendooven A, Allais L, Cuvelier CA, van de Loo F, Norris PS, Kruglov AA, Nedospasov SA, Rabot S, Tito R, Raes J, Gaboriau-Routhiau V, Cerf-Bensussan N, Van de Wiele T, Eberl G, Ware CF, Elewaut D.
    Commensal microbiota influence systemic autoimmune responses.
    EMBO J. 2015 Feb 12;34(4):466-74. doi: 10.15252/embj.201489966.
  5. Van den Abbeele P, Belzer C, Goossens M, Kleerebezem M, De Vos WM, Thas O, De Weirdt R, Kerckhof FM, Van de Wiele T.
    Butyrate-producing Clostridium cluster XIVa species specifically colonize mucins in an in vitro gut model.
    ISME J. 2013 May;7(5):949-61. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2012.158.
  6. van Duynhoven J, Vaughan EE, Jacobs DM, Kemperman RA, van Velzen EJ, Gross G, Roger LC, Possemiers S, Smilde AK, Doré J, Westerhuis JA, Van de Wiele T.
    Metabolic fate of polyphenols in the human superorganism.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Mar 15;108 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):4531-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1000098107.
  7. Cani PD, Possemiers S, Van de Wiele T, Guiot Y, Everard A, Rottier O, Geurts L, Naslain D, Neyrinck A, Lambert DM, Muccioli GG, Delzenne NM.
    Changes in gut microbiota control inflammation in obese mice through a mechanism involving GLP-2-driven improvement of gut permeability.
    Gut. 2009 Aug;58(8):1091-103. doi: 10.1136/gut.2008.165886.

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