Bern Human Organoid-Study to Study Host-microbe Interaction (humorg)

Establishment of Human Organoid Lines as a Tool to Dissect Molecular Pathways of Host-microbiota Interactions

The human body inhabits a complex consortium of different microbes which together form the microbiota. Virtually every surface of the human body is colonized by a distinct microbiota, forming complex communities. An increasing number of research results indicates that changes in the microbiota can have vast effects on the health of its host.

Most studies investigating the microbiota were conducted on animals, as many interventions and investigations cannot be performed on humans due to ethical considerations. This raises the question if findings from experimental studies are translational and can benefit patients. That becomes especially apparent when trying to dissect molecular mechanisms involved in this fine-tuned interplay between nutrients, the microbiota, and its host.

By establishing human organoid cultures from the large and small intestine that can be exposed to microbes and/or microbial products with subsequent transcriptomic, epigenetic and immunological analysis, the investigators aim to generate findings with high translational potential with new insights into the complex interaction of the microbiota, the host and its immune system.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Microbiota; Organoids; Allergy and Immunology

Detailed Description

• Data obtained from participants will be recorded in the database Redcap to ensure high-quality data recording
• Establishment of human organoid cultures are standardized by published protocols (Pleguezuelos-Manzano et al. 2020)

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Stephanie Ganal-Vonarburg, Prof. Dr.; Phone Number: +41 31 632 59 00; Email: bauchzentrum@insel.ch
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Sandro Christensen; Phone Number: +41 31 684 16 47; Email: sandro.christensen@unibe.ch

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Bern, Switzerland, 3010
    • Recruiting
    • Inselspital, University Hospital Bern
    • Contact: Bauchzentrum; Phone Number: +41 31 632 59 00; Email: bauchzentrum@insel.ch
    • Principal Investigator: Stephanie Ganal-Vonarburg, Prof
    • Sub-Investigator: Sandro Christensen, MD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

1. Patients undergoing routine ileo-colonoscopy without sign of inflammation, dysplasia, or neoplasia in histology
2. Patients undergoing routine gastro-duodenoscopy without sign of inflammation, dysplasia, or neoplasia in histology

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Signed informed consent
• Indication for upper or lower endoscopic procedure
• Ability to understand and follow study procedures and understand informed consent
• Age 18-80 years
• Negative pregnancy test result prior to study enrollment of female study participants (test will be performed prior to enrollment)
• BMI between 18.5 and 30 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Disease known to chronically affect gut microbiota, gut epithelium or gut-associated immune system, namely inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, microscopic colitis, liver cirrhosis, malignancy within the digestive tract, systemic sclerosis, coeliac disease, common-variable immunodeficiency, diabetes mellitus
• Medication with immunosuppressants (e.g. corticoids, biological therapy)
• Current diagnosis of a hematological disorder (e.g. anemia with hemoglobin <7 g/dl, leukemia) or any other absolute contraindication for blood draw
• Women who are pregnant
• Serious coagulation disorder, relevant thrombocytopenia (<50'000/ul), double platelet-inhibition, oral anticoagulation (ASS therapy is possible)
• Known or suspected non-compliance, drug, or alcohol abuse
• Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g., due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant
• Previous enrolment into the current study
• Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees, and other dependent persons
• Inability or unwillingness to provide blood samples and tissue samples (biopsies)
• Participants taking oral anticoagulant or with bleeding disorders who would be at much higher risk of bleeding after biopsy samples or who are contraindicated for an endoscopic examination
• Patients unable to give informed consent
• Patients that have been under antibiotic therapy in the last 4 weeks
• Participation in other clinical study interfering with study procedures
• Potential study participants that wish not to be informed about random results acquired during the study (e.g., during endoscopy or genetic analysis) relevant for their health and for prevention of diseases

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of changes in the transcriptomic profile of epithelial cells before and after organoid culture	Assessment of changes in the transcriptomic profile of epithelial cells before and after organoid culture is established by RNA-sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)	3 Years
Assessment of changes in the epigenome of epithelial cells before and after organoid culture	Assessment of changes in the epigenome of epithelial cells before and after organoid culture is established by whole genome bisulphite sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing	3 Years
Transcriptomic and Epigenomic Landscape of host-microbiota Interaction	Determining effects of microbial-derived metabolites on the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape of human organoids treated with the respective metabolite	3 Years
Host-Microbiota interaction - Stem cell maintenance and Cell Differentiation	Determining effects of microbial-derived metabolites on epithelial cell differentiation and stem cell maintenance	3 Years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
3D-to-2D Transwell System	Establishing a method to transform human organoid culture into a 2-dimensional trans-well system which allows transportation studies, characterization of epithelial integrity and other downstream analysis	3 Years
Gut-on-a-chip	Applying 2-dimensional trans-well system to a gut-on-a-chip set-up in collaboration with the Artorg Center at the University of Bern	3 Years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
• Collaborators: University of Bern
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Stephanie Ganal-Vonarburg, Prof, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Pleguezuelos-Manzano C, Puschhof J, van den Brink S, Geurts V, Beumer J, Clevers H. Establishment and Culture of Human Intestinal Organoids Derived from Adult Stem Cells. Curr Protoc Immunol. 2020 Sep;130(1):e106. doi: 10.1002/cpim.106.

Helpful Links

• Pleguezuelos-Manzano C et al. 2020

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 31, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 4, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 4, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): April 12, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 11, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 5, 2024
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Enteroids; Host-Microbiota; Mucosal Immunology
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2021-01865

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No