Dr Anne-Sophie Bergot

Research Fellow

Frazer Institute
Faculty of Medicine

Overview

After receiving a PhD on immune regulation from La Sorbonne Universitas in France, Anne-Sophie joined Prof. Ian Frazer’s lab in Australia where she led a highly successful and independent research program on the mechanisms of immune tolerance in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated lesions in mice. She then joined the field of autoimmune diseases with Prof. Ranjeny Thomas. In Type 1 Diabetes, her pre-clinical data showed the feasibility of an antigen-specific liposome targeted immunotherapy in pre-diabetic mice and led to the first-in-human clinical trial using liposome nanoparticles. In Spondyloarthropathy, her interest is focused on deciphering the link between the gut microbiome, the immune system and the development of arthritic inflammation.

Research Interests

  • Bugs in the gut and arthritis in SkG mice and in SpA patients
    IL-23 dependent spondylitis, arthritis and ileitis recapitulate human spondyloarthropathy (SpA) in 1,3-beta-glucan (curdlan)-treated SKG mice. Human SpA patients and SKG mice have fecal dysbiosis, with increased gram-negative Bacteroidaceae and Porphyromonadaceae. In SKG mice, anti-IL-23 therapy supports homeostatic bacteria and gut integrity and is sufficient to prevent the development of arthritis. So I'm interested to know how pathobionts and commensals impact the development of SpA using the SKG mouse model. My current interest is also to confirm my findings in human patients with SpA who have simultaneous gut inflammation or not. Cool tools = germ-free mice, bacteria (anaerobic, aerobic) cultures, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), confocal imaging, FACS analysis, genomic work Questions = -How do the bacteria get to the inflamed joint? -Is this a cause of inflammation or are they attracted there as a consequence of in situ inflammation? -Are gut bacteria cargo-ed from one site to another and which cell can do that? -Is this part of a defective clearance mechanism ? -Are bacteria or cargo-ed bacteria circulating through blood vessels? -How can this be prevented?

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Pierre and Marie Curie University

Publications

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Supervision

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Publications

Journal Article

Conference Publication

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision