Research

Intestinal Barrier Function and Physiology

The Andres Lab wants to improve outcomes for patients with intestinal barrier dysfunction, including those with necrotizing enterocolitis and cachexia. We use a two-pronged approach including basic cell and molecular physiology and translational bedside-to-bench approaches with novel human samples.

Translational Bedside-to-Bench Studies

Two adjacent intestinal crypts, which house the intestinal stem cells that are responsible for maintaining and regenerating the intestinal epithelium.

We use novel patient digestive samples to study what human milk becomes within the infant intestine and how these bioactive factors interact with and influence the neonatal intestinal epithelium.

Neonatal human enteroids absorb extracellular vesicles isolated from infant digestive fluid (magenta). The apical cell surface is labeled with phalloidin (cyan).

Post-transcriptional regulation during necrotizing enterocolitis

This project uses genetic mouse models and 3D patient-derived enteroids to define the role of the RNA binding protein insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (Igf2bp1/Imp1) in the neonatal inflammatory disease (necrotizing enterocolitis).

Neonatal mouse intestine (healthy, above) from the NEC animal model (below).

Green fluorescence staining of the brush border enzyme sucrase isomaltase. Sucrase isomaltase is highly expressed by the differentiated (mature) cells of the intestine. These cells line the finger-like structures shown (villi) which increase the absorptive and secretory surface area within the intestinal epithelium.

Repairing the intestinal barrier in cancer-cachexia

This project uses a mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-induced cachexia to examine how muscle and fat wasting alters the intestinal barrier and testing interventions to improve barrier function.

The adult intestinal epithelium of a mouse outlined by brush border enzyme sucrase isomaltase staining (green).

Stay up to date on all our research!

IMP1 3′ UTR shortening enhances metastatic burden in colorectal cancer.
Andres SF, Williams KN, Plesset JB, Headd JJ, Mizuno R, Chatterji P, Lento AA, Klein-Szanto AJ, Mick R, Hamilton KE, Rustgi AK.
Carcinogenesis. 2019 Jun 10;40(4):569-579. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgy153.
PMID: 30407516
The Molecular Basis of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.
Andres SF, Williams KN, Rustgi AK.
Curr Colorectal Cancer Rep. 2018 Apr;14(2):69-79. doi: 10.1007/s11888-018-0403-z. Epub 2018 Mar 1.
PMID: 30237756
The LIN28B-IMP1 post-transcriptional regulon has opposing effects on oncogenic signaling in the intestine.
Chatterji P, Hamilton KE, Liang S, Andres SF, Wijeratne HRS, Mizuno R, Simon LA, Hicks PD, Foley SW, Pitarresi JR, Klein-Szanto AJ, Mah AT, Van Landeghem L, Gregory BD, Lengner CJ, Madison BB, Shah P, Rustgi AK.
Genes Dev. 2018 Aug 1;32(15-16):1020-1034. doi: 10.1101/gad.314369.118.
PMID: 30068703
Aging effects on intestinal homeostasis associated with expansion and dysfunction of intestinal epithelial stem cells.
Moorefield EC, Andres SF, Blue RE, Van Landeghem L, Mah AT, Santoro MA, Ding S. Aging (Albany NY). 2017 Aug 29;9(8):1898-1915. doi: 10.18632/aging.101279.
PMID: 28854151
Obesity and intestinal epithelial deletion of the insulin receptor, but not the IGF 1 receptor, affect radiation-induced apoptosis in colon.
Santoro MA, Blue RE, Andres SF, Mah AT, Van Landeghem L, Lund PK.
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2015 Oct 1;309(7):G578-89. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00189.2015. Epub 2015 Aug 6.
PMID: 26251471
Loss of Stromal IMP1 Promotes a Tumorigenic Microenvironment in the Colon.
Hamilton KE, Chatterji P, Lundsmith ET, Andres SF, Giroux V, Hicks PD, Noubissi FK, Spiegelman VS, Rustgi AK.
Mol Cancer Res. 2015 Nov;13(11):1478-86. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-15-0224. Epub 2015 Jul 20.
PMID: 26194191
Deletion of intestinal epithelial insulin receptor attenuates high-fat diet-induced elevations in cholesterol and stem, enteroendocrine, and Paneth cell mRNAs. Andres SF, Santoro MA, Mah AT, Keku JA, Bortvedt AE, Blue RE, Lund PK.
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2015 Jan 15;308(2):G100-11. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00287.2014. Epub 2014 Nov 13.
PMID: 25394660
Reduced insulin-like growth factor I receptor and altered insulin receptor isoform mRNAs in normal mucosa predict colorectal adenoma risk.
Santoro MA, Andres SF, Galanko JA, Sandler RS, Keku TO, Lund PK.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014 Oct;23(10):2093-100. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0177. Epub 2014 Jul 13.
PMID: 25017244
Insulin receptor isoform switching in intestinal stem cells, progenitors, differentiated lineages and tumors: evidence that IR-B limits proliferation.
Andres SF, Simmons JG, Mah AT, Santoro MA, Van Landeghem L, Lund PK.
J Cell Sci. 2013 Dec 15;126(Pt 24):5645-56. doi: 10.1242/jcs.132985. Epub 2013 Oct 14.
PMID: 24127567
Conference report: placental growth and function.
Challis JR, Andres SF, Catz CS, Fisher SJ, Hay WW Jr, Hunt JS, Illsley NP, Thornburg KL.
Placenta. 1995 Jul;16(5):471-5. Review. No abstract available.
PMID: 7479619
Immunochemistry of sperm-whale myoglobin–XXI. Conformation and immunochemistry of derivatives modified at certain histidine residues.
Atassi MZ, Litowich MT, Andres SF.
Immunochemistry. 1975 Sep;12(9):727-33. No abstract available.
PMID: 1193678
Clinical determination of methemalbumin.
Andres SF, Kregoski TJ, Frey CF, Joseph RR, McCann DS.
Clin Chem. 1975 Sep;21(10):1506-10.
PMID: 1157322
Immunochemistry of sperm-whale myoglobin. Conformation and immunochemistry of derivatives prepared by reaction with diazonium-1H-tetrazole. Evaluation of the specificity of the reagent.
Andres SF, Atassi MZ. Biochemistry. 1973 Feb 27;12(5):942-7. No abstract available.
PMID: 4631371
Conformational studies on modified proteins and peptides. Artificial myoglobins prepared with modified and metalloporphyrins.
Andres SF, Atassi MZ.
Biochemistry. 1970 May 26;9(11):2268-75. No abstract available.
PMID: 5424201

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