The Hogan Laboratory

at the University of Michigan

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Dr. Hogan and his lab were featured in the Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center’s annual Reaction magazine. The article highlights their recent research advancements and contributions to the field of food allergy. Alongside this feature, the magazine provides an overview of other significant achievements and progress made by the center throughout the past year. Read about it all here!

New research from our team reveals that pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) have distinct molecular signatures that may predict treatment response to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

Through comprehensive RNA-sequencing of esophageal biopsies, we discovered that while PPI-responsive (PPI-R) and PPI-unresponsive (PPI-UR) EoE patients appear clinically identical at diagnosis, they exhibit unique transcriptional profiles. PPI-R EoE shows enrichment in interferon signaling and zinc ion regulation pathways, whereas PPI-UR EoE displays heightened type 2 inflammation, enhanced B cell and neutrophil signatures, and—most notably—a sustained esophageal epithelial proliferative response driven by cell cycle and division genes.

Importantly, we identified a proinflammatory SFRP1+ esophageal suprabasal cell population that persists in PPI-UR EoE even after treatment, suggesting a STAT3-dependent mechanism that may explain PPI resistance.

These findings represent a crucial step toward precision medicine in EoE management, identifying potential biomarkers that could guide initial therapy selection and prevent disease progression during ineffective treatment periods.