University of Pennsylvania · GeneticsThe Gut Cell Initiative
Klaus H Kaestner · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Klaus H. Kaestner's lab focuses on understanding critical cellular and molecular mechanisms in gastrointestinal and pancreatic health. They study unique cells like FOXL1-positive telocytes that are crucial for intestinal development, and examine the role of senescent cells in liver disease and diabetes. Overall, the lab aims to uncover pathways that might lead to better treatments for diseases such as diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders.
intestinal developmenttelocytestype 2 diabetespancreas analysissenescenceliver diseasebeta cellsimmune responseRNA editingmolecular genetics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the role of FOXL1-positive telocytes in gut stem cell function and intestinal homeostasis.
AIM 02Analyze human pancreatic tissue to gain insights into type 2 diabetes pathology.
AIM 03Examine the impact of senescent liver cells on liver disease progression.
AIM 04Identify the contribution of different senescent cell types in liver injury and regeneration.
AIM 05Explore how beta cell senescence affects the onset of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsgenomic analysisRNA sequencingprotein analysisimmunostainingmultiplexed stainingdata integrationtissue processingsingle cell analysis
Output against the department
Publications600top 9% of dept.23rd of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations53ktop 11% of dept.29th of 259
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.