Stephan R. Targan, MD Director, Gastroenterology Director, Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Email: stephan.targan@cshs.org Phone: (310) 423-7723 Fax: (310) 423-0224

Institute Affiliation

Academic Appointments

Awards and Activities

Research Focus

Translational and basic research programs are primarily focused on immunopathologic mechanisms, novel therapeutics, and the translation of basic science findings for use in diagnosis, prognosis and targeted therapeutic selection in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Human in vitro and animal model are used in genetic and immunobiologic investigations to elucidate the dysregulated immune responses in the gastrointestinal tract that lead to mucosal inflammation.

Research Contributions

Introduced the concept of heterogeneity to the study of IBD and the role of serum immune markers in disease group stratification and disease course prediction. Leader in disease classification and determining how to use these responses as combinatorial traits that could aid in the discovery of homogenous mechanisms in IBD. Defined the role of the novel cytokine, TL1A, showing that TL1A is critically important to Th1/IFN-gamma responses. Demonstrated that TL1A is central to protection against invading pathogens, and to generation and perpetuation of inflammation.

Current investigations include:

Molecular and immunobologic investigations of cytokine regulation in mucosal inflammation. Combinatorial genomic investigation of IBD. Immunobiologic investigations of the human/mouse correlate flagellin, CBir1, in mucosal inflammation. Animal investigation of the role of TL1A, the master regulator of inflammation in the mucosa. Translational investigation of antibodies to TL1A as treatment for IBD patients. Clinical trials of multiple therapeutic agents.

Selected Publications

1. Shih DQ, Kwan LY, Chavez V, Cohavy O, Gonsky R, Chang EY, Chang C, Elson CO, Targan SR: Microbial induction of inflammatory bowel disease associated gene TL1A (TNFSF15) in antigen presenting cells. Eur. J. Immunol., 39(11): 3239-50, 2009
2. Saruta M, Michelsen KS, Thomas LS, Yu QT, Landers CJ, Targan SR: TLR8-mediated activation of human monocytes inhibits TL1A expression. Eur. J. Immunol., 39(8): 2195-202, 2009
3. Michelsen KS, Thomas LS, Taylor KD, Yu QT, Mei L, Landers CJ, Derkowski C, McGovern DP, Rotter JI, Targan SR: IBD-associated TL1A gene (TNFSF15) haplotypes determine increased expression of TL1A protein. PLoS ONE, 4(3): e4719, 2009
4. Takedatsu H, Taylor KD, Mei L, McGovern DP, Landers CJ, Gonsky R, Cong Y, Vasiliauskas EA, Ippoliti A, Elson CO, Rotter JI, Targan SR: Linkage of Crohn's disease-related serological phenotypes: NFKB1 haplotypes are associated with anti-CBir1 and ASCA, and show reduced NF-kappaB activation. Gut, 58(1): 60-7, 2008
5. Takedatsu H, Michelsen KS, Wei B, Landers CJ, Thomas LS, Dhall D, Braun J, Targan SR: TL1A (TNFSF15) Regulates the Development of Chronic Colitis by Modulating Both T-Helper 1 and T-Helper 17 Activation. Gastroenterology, , 2008