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Prof. Dr. Christoph Wilhelm

Member, Steering-Committee Member

Institute of Clinical Chemistry & Clinical Pharmacology

Medical Faculty, University of Bonn University Hospital of Bonn Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25 53127 Bonn

cwilhelm@uni-bonn.de

+49 228 28751721

Website

The research team of Prof. Christoph Wilhelm studies the metabolic control of mucosal immune cells to better understand what distinguishes their protective function in infection from immune-mediated pathology and chronic inflammation. Specifically, we aim to untangle how dietary restriction and fasting affect the immune system and how exogenous and endogenous metabolites influence barrier immune cell function. We have found that a ketogenic diet can be used as an effective dietary intervention strategy for the treatment of chronic airway inflammation and that ketogenesis triggered by severe respiratory infections supports T cell function by providing ketone bodies as an alternative carbon source. Our central goal is to understand the link between Westernization and the growing health problem of chronic inflammation, as well as the increased susceptibility to infections in people with metabolic diseases.

Recent publications

  • Tryptophan indole metabolites reduce anastomotic leakage through aryl hydrocarbon receptor-driven interleukin-22 production.

    Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology

    Authors: Vasiliki Bantavi, Laura Gloeck, Patrick Leven, Konstantina Zafeiropoulou, Olaf Welting, Hilal Sengül, Patrik Efferz, Bianca Schneiker, Timothy Ryan McCulloch, Christoph Wilhelm, Sandra Blaess, Anneke Fuss, Joep P M Derikx, Bruno Sovran, Wouter J de Jonge, Sven Wehner

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  • Tuft cells feel the pain.

    Nature immunology

    Authors: Timothy R McCulloch, Christoph Wilhelm

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  • High-salt diet induces immune-independent re-differentiation, metabolic shut down and cell cycle arrest of melanoma.

    Cell death & disease

    Authors: Clivia Lisowski, Natascha E Stumpf, Katarzyna Jobin, Daniela Klaus, Melanie Eichler, Ann-Kathrin Baumgart, Olena Babyak, Mirjam Meißner, Agnes Schröder, Patrick Neubert, Vanessa Schmitt, Marcel Michla, Süleyman Bozkurt, Jelena Zurkovic, Daniel Hinze, Jana Liebing, Matthias Eckhardt, Christoph Heuser, Lea Seep, Annkristin Heine, Janine Becker-Gotot, Christoph Thiele, Christian Münch, Thomas Becker, Jonathan Jantsch, Christoph Wilhelm, Michael Hölzel, Christian Kurts

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