Guðmundur H Guðmundsson

I am a professor of Cell Biology within the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (SENS) in department of Life and environmental Sciences. My research is on innate immunity with emphasis on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) also called host defence peptides (HDP). We work mainly with epithelial cells to understand the regulation of the genes encoding HDP. We have found several compounds that can induce the expression of the HDPs that allow us to resolve intracellular pathways of innate immunity and hence the front line of immune defences. The aim is to study the inducing compounds in vivo in relation to infections, immune suppression and inflammatory disorders but enhanced expression of HDP correlates with strong epithelial barrier, microbiome homeostasis and reduced inflammation which is of interest for multiple diseases. Furthermore, inducers of HDP expression might be useful in fighting antibiotic resistant bacteria. We have collaborated with multiple international researchers mainly in Europe and Asia. Ongoing we have a large EU project (Horizon) with 16 partners based on novel inducers of HDP expression and treatment of infections.