Publications

Articles

Quan, R., Decraecker, L., Appeltans, I., Cuende-Estevez, M., Van Remoortel, S., Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Wang, Z., Hicks, G., Wykosky, J., Mclean, P., Denadai-Souza, A., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G.E. with Boeckxstaens, G.E. (corresp. author) (2025). Fecal Proteolytic Bacteria and Staphylococcal Superantigens Are Associated With Abdominal Pain Severity in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY, 120 (3), 603-613. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000003042

Decraecker, L., Cuende Estevez, M., Van Remoortel, S., Quan, R., Stakenborg, N., Wang, Z., De Marco, E., Denadai-Souza, A., Viola, M.F., Garcia Caraballo, S., Brierley, S., Tsukimi, Y., Hicks, G., Winchester, W., Wykosky, J., Fanjul, A., Gibson, T., Wouters, M., Vanden Berghe, P., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G. with Boeckxstaens, G. (corresp. author) (2025). Characterisation of MRGPRX2+ mast cells in irritable bowel syndrome. GUT. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2024-334037

Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Lopez-Lopez, C., Jaramillo-Polanco, J., Florens, M.V., Yu, Y., Tsang, Q.K., Chakraborty, A., De Gand, S., Pia, F., Quan, R., Cuende-Estévez, M., Van Remoortel, S., Strid, J., Lomax, A.E., Berin, M.C., Craig, A.W., Kaufmann, E., Ormiston, M.L., Vanner, S.J., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G.E., Reed, D.E. (2025). Psychological Stress-Induced Local Immune Response to Food Antigens Increases Pain Signaling Across the Gut in Mice. GASTROENTEROLOGY. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2025.01.246

Petitfils, C., Maurel, S., Payros, G., Hueber, A., Agaiz, B., Gazzo, G., Marrocco, R., Auvray, F., Langevin, G., Motta, J-P., Floch, P., Tremblay-Franco, M., Galano, J-M., Guy, A., Durand, T., Lachambre, S., Durbec, A., Hussein, H., Decraecker, L., Bertrand-Michel, J., Saoudi, A., Oswald, E., Poisbeau, P., Dietrich, G., Melchior, C., Boeckxstaens, G., Serino, M., Le Faouder, P., Cenac, N. with Cenac, N. (corresp. author) (2023). Identification of bacterial lipopeptides as key players in IBS. GUT, 72 (5), 939-950. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-328084 Open Access

Ajouaou, Y., Azouz, A., Taquin, A., Denanglaire, S., Hussein, H., Krayem, M., Andris, F., Moser, M., Goriely, S., Leo, O. with Leo, O. (corresp. author) (2022). The oxygen sensor prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 regulates the in vivo suppressive capacity of regulatory T cells. ELIFE, 11, Art.No. ARTN e70555. doi: 10.7554/eLife.70555.sa2 Open Access

Hussein, H., Denanglaire, S., Van Gool, F., Azouz, A., Ajouaou, Y., El-Khatib, H., Oldenhove, G., Leo, O., Andris, F. with Andris, F. (corresp. author) (2020). Multiple Environmental Signaling Pathways Control the Differentiation of RORγt-Expressing Regulatory T Cells. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, 10, Art.No. ARTN 3007. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03007

Andris, F., Denanglaire, S., Anciaux, M., Hercor, M., Hussein, H., Leo, O. with Andris, F. (corresp. author) (2017). The Transcription Factor c-Maf Promotes the Differentiation of Follicular Helper T Cells. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, 8, Art.No. ARTN 480. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00480

Literature reviews

Van Remoortel, S., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G. with Boeckxstaens, G. (corresp. author) (2024). Mast cell modulation: A novel therapeutic strategy for abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE, 5 (10), Art.No. ARTN 101780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101780

Hussein, H., Van Remoortel, S., Boeckxstaens, G.E. with Boeckxstaens, G.E. (corresp. author) (2024). Irritable bowel syndrome: When food is a pain in the gut. IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, 326 (1), 102-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/imr.13374

Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G.E. with Boeckxstaens, G.E. (corresp. author) (2022). Immune activation in irritable bowel syndrome: what is the evidence? NATURE REVIEWS IMMUNOLOGY, 22 (11), 674-686. doi: 10.1038/s41577-022-00700-9

Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G.E. with Boeckxstaens, G.E. (corresp. author) (2022). Immune-mediated food reactions in irritable bowel syndrome. CURRENT OPINION IN PHARMACOLOGY, 66, Art.No. ARTN 102285. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2022.102285

Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Florens, M., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G. with Boeckxstaens, G. (corresp. author) (2022). Local immune response as novel disease mechanism underlying abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. ACTA CLINICA BELGICA, 77 (5), 889-896. doi: 10.1080/17843286.2021.1996069

Imbratta, C., Hussein, H., Andris, F., Verdeil, G. with Andris, F. (corresp. author), Verdeil, G. (corresp. author) (2020). c-MAF, a Swiss Army Knife for Tolerance in Lymphocytes. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, 11, Art.No. ARTN 206. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00206

Preprints

Hussein, H., Modave, E., Stakenborg, N., Delfini, M., Vandereyken, K., Sifrim, A., Voet, T., Boeckxstaens, G. (2024). Single cell transcriptomics reveal mast cell heterogeneity in the human gut. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.29.626054

Ajouaou, Y., Azouz, A., Hussein, H., Anaelle, T., Andris, F., Moser, M., Goriely, S., Leo, O. with Leo, O. (corresp. author) (2022). The oxygen sensor Prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 regulates the in vivo suppressive capacity of regulatory T cells. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2021.03.23.436597 Open Access

Ajouaou, Y., Azouz, A., Taquin, A., Hussein, H., Andris, F., Moser, M., Goriely, S., Leo, O. (2021). The oxygen sensor Prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 regulates the in vivo suppressive capacity of regulatory T cells. Research Square. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-355767/v1

Hussein, H., Denanglaire, S., Van Gool, F., Azouz, A., Ajouaou, Y., El-Khatib, H., Oldenhove, G., Leo, O., Andris, F. (2019). Multiple environmental signaling pathways control the differentiation of RORγt-expressing regulatory T cells. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/791244

Abstracts / Presentations / Posters

Quan, R., Hussein, H., Cuende-Estevez, M., Decraecker, L., Boeckxstaens, G. (2024). STUDY EVALUATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MICROBIOME, PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY, BACTERIAL SUPERANTIGENS AND CLINICAL SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME. In: GASTROENTEROLOGY: vol. 166 (5), (S1374-S1374). Presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW), DC, Washington, 18 May 2024-21 May 2024.

Cuende-Estevez, M., Cuypers, S., Backaert, W., Hussein, H., Appeltans, I., Bellens, K., Vanoirbeek, J., Van Gerven, L., Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Boeckxstaens, G.E. (2024). ROLE OF AIRBORNE AND FOOD ANTIGEN CROSS-REACTIVITY IN THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ALLERGIC AIRWAY PATHOLOGY AND IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME. In: GASTROENTEROLOGY: vol. 166 (5), (S1375-S1375). Presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW), DC, Washington, 18 May 2024-21 May 2024.

Hussein, H., Modave, E., Van Remoortel, S., Delfini, M., Quan, R., Stakenborg, N., Boeckxstaens, G. (2024). SINGLE CELL TRANSCRIPTOMICS REVEAL MAST CELL HETEROGENEITY IN THE HUMAN GUT IN HEALTH AND IBS. In: GASTROENTEROLOGY: vol. 166 (5), (S192-S192). Presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW), DC, Washington, 18 May 2024-21 May 2024.

Cuende-Estevez, M., Decraecker, L., Quan, R., Van Remoortel, S., Stakenborg, N., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G.E. (2024). CHARACTERIZATION OF MRGPRX2 EXPRESSION AND ACTIVATION IN HUMAN INTESTINAL MAST CELLS. In: GASTROENTEROLOGY: vol. 166 (5), (S1374-S1375). Presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW), DC, Washington, 18 May 2024-21 May 2024.

Cuende-Estevez, M., Cuypers, S., Backaert, W., Hussein, H., Appeltans, I., Bellens, K., Vanoirbeek, J., Van Gerven, L., Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Boeckxstaens, G. (2023). Role of airborne and food antigen cross-reactivity in the association between allergic airway pathology and irritable bowel syndrome. In: NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY: vol. 35.

Hussein, H., Modave, E., Delfini, M., Boeckxstaens, G. (2023). Single cell transcriptomics uncover layer-specific mast cell populations in the human colon. In: NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY: vol. 35.

Cuende-Estevez, M., Decraecker, L., Quan, R., Denadai-Souza, A., Viola, M.F., Aguilera-Lizarraga, J., Stakenborg, N., Hussein, H., Boeckxstaens, G. (2023). Characterization of MRGPRX2 expression and activation in human intestinal mast cells. In: NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY: vol. 35.