D.C. Trampert MD publications

Publications MD D.C. Trampert

Positions

PhD Candidate, Other Academic Staff, MD-PhD

Main activities

Research

Specialisation

Experimental Hepatology

Focus of research

pH regulation as a therapeutic strategy for cholestatic liver diseases

The pathophysiology of immune-mediated cholangiopathies, such as primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), remains only partially understood. In health, cholangiocytes are responsible for the conditioning of primary canalicular bile through the secretion of a bicarbonate rich fluid. In disease, the bicarbonate layer lining the bile ducts may be insufficient at deprotonating hydrophobic apolar bile acids resulting in membrane permeation and cholangiocellular cytotoxicity. Therefore, further understanding the intra- and intercellular signalling responsible for luminal pH regulation in bile ducts is of interest. A group of enzymes named carbonic anhydrases catalyse the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide generating bicarbonate. This group of enzymes, related proteins expressing a carbonic anhydrase domain and acid/base transporters are subject to gene expression profiling and functional microscopy experiments to assess their potential for therapeutic intervention.