Photo of Åsa Keita

Åsa Keita

Senior Associate Professor

Associate professor in Experimental gastroenterology.
My research involves studying the interactions between the enteric nervous system, immune
cells and the barrier function and studying the connection between the gut, its gut flora and the brain.

Research on IBS and IBD

Studies of neuro-immune interactions and regulation of barrier function in IBS and inflammatory bowel disease, IBD.

The intestine is continuously exposed to different substances, either via the food or the microbiota. The ability to allow absorption of nutrients and fluids but simultaneously prevent harmful substances from passing through the epithelium is defined as intestinal barrier function. Research from my group and others has shown that patients with IBS and IBD have a disturbed barrier function with an increased passage of bacteria and other harmful substances. IBS is a chronic functional intestinal disorder characterised by diarrhea constipation and pain, often combined with fatigue and depression. IBD is a chronic intestinal disease, which in contrast to IBS, includes an inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. IBD is associated with abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss.

My research focuses on studies of the mucosal interactions involving immune cells, such as mast cells, eosinophils and the enteric glial cells, and the enteric nervous system. Among others, I have focused on the neuropeptide VIP, which has shown to be involved in the regulation of the intestinal barrier in both IBS and IBD. Further, I aim to connect the gut findings with measurements of the brain, and in addition try to connect this to the patient´s own microbiota.

MIIC Postdoctoral program

Medical Inflammation and Infection Center is seeking postdoctoral fellows

Post doc project: “The roles of Enteric glial cells in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and inactive ulcerative colitis”

In this project we aim to study the importance of enteric glial cells (EGC) and their roles in intestinal barrier function and interaction with immune cells, nerves and bacteria in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and patients with inactive ulcerative colitis (UC).

Since the project involves isolation of cells from intestinal tissues and cell culturing, the applicant should have experience from working with in vitro cell culture methodologies. Moreover, applicant should have knowledge in immunofluorescence and fluorescence/confocal microscopy as well as Western blot technique. A knowledge in gastroenterology, neuro-immune interactions of the gut and intestinal permeability is meriting.

Publications

2025

Pauline Huyghe, Matthias Ceulemans, Åsa Keita, Johan D Söderholm, Inge Depoortere, Jan Tack, Lucas Wauters, Tim Vanuytsel (2025) The Duodenal Microenvironment in Functional Dyspepsia JOURNAL OF NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY, Vol. 31, p. 186-198 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Benita Salomon, Olle Granno, Daniel Bergemalm, Hans Strid, Adam Carstens, Henrik Hjortswang, Maria Ling Lundstrom, Johann P. Hreinsson, Sven Almer, Franscesca Bresso, Carl Eriksson, Olof Grip, Andre Blomberg, Jan Marsal, Niloofar Nikaein, Shoaib Bakhtyar, Carl Marten Lindqvist, Elisabeth Hultgren Hornquist, Maria K. Magnusson, Åsa Keita, Mauro D'Amato, Dirk Repsilber, Lena Ohman, Johan D. Soderholm, Marie Carlson, Charlotte R. H. Hedin, Robert Kruse, Jonas Halfvarson (2025) Cohort profile: the Swedish Inception Cohort in inflammatory bowel disease (SIC-IBD) BMJ Open, Vol. 15, Article e099218 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Olle Granno, Daniel Bergemalm, Benita Salomon, Carl Marten Lindqvist, Charlotte R. H. Hedin, Marie Carlson, Katharina Dannenberg, Erik Andersson, Åsa Keita, Maria K. Magnusson, Carl Eriksson, Vivekananda Lanka, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Mauro D'Amato, Lena Ohman, Johan D Söderholm, Johan Hultdin, Robert Kruse, Yang Cao, Dirk Repsilber, Olof Grip, Pontus Karling, Jonas Halfvarson (2025) Preclinical Protein Signatures of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: A Nested Case-Control Study Within Large Population-Based Cohorts Gastroenterology, Vol. 168, p. 741-753 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2024

Olga Biskou, Susanna Walter, Hans Israelsen, Martin E. Winberg, Olga Bednarska, Åsa V. Keita (2024) ReFerm®: a postbiotic fermented oat gruel composition is reducing mast cell degranulation in the colon of patients with irritable bowel syndrome Frontiers in Medicine, Vol. 11, Article 1408623 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Maria Ling Lundström, Christer Peterson, Charlotte R. H. Hedin, Daniel Bergemalm, Maria Lampinen, Maria K. Magnusson, Åsa Keita, Robert Kruse, Carl Marten Lindqvist, Dirk Repsilber, Mauro D'Amato, Henrik Hjortswang, Hans Strid, Johan D Söderholm, Lena Öhman, Per Venge, Jonas Halfvarson, Marie Carlson (2024) Faecal biomarkers for diagnosis and prediction of disease course in treatment-naïve patients with IBD Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 60, p. 765-777 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

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