Research Fellow

Samuli Rautava, MD, PhD

Dr. Samuli Rautava received his MD at the University of Turku in Turku, Finland, in 1999. He specialized in pediatrics at the same institution and received his PhD there in 2005. The thesis consisted of clinical studies assessing the effects of probiotics in maturing the immune system and reducing the risk of atopic and infectious disease in infancy. Dr. Rautava’s work during his postdoctoral fellowship under Dr. Walker at the Mucosal Immunology Laboratory is focused on the effects of probiotics and breast milk on the gut epithelium in infancy. His aim is to identify mechanisms by which substances secreted by probiotic bacteria or present in breast milk modulate epithelial cell responses to various inflammatory stimuli (e.g. cytokines, bacterial endotoxin, or pathogens). In particular, probiotic modulation of innate immune receptors and intracellular inflammatory pathways are investigated using the human intestinal xenograft model as well as human intestinal cell and tissue culture models.

Articles in peer-reviewed international journals

1.     Rautava S, Kalliomäki M, Isolauri E. Probiotics during pregnancy and breast-feeding might confer immunomodulatory protection against atopic disease in the infant. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;109:119-21.

2.     Isolauri E, Rautava S, Kalliomäki M, Kirjavainen P, Salminen S. Probiotic research: learn from the evidence. Allergy 2002;57:1078. Correspondence.

3.     Rautava S, Ruuskanen O, Ouwehand A, Salminen S, Isolauri E. The hygiene hypothesis of atopic disease - an extended version. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004;38:378-88. Review.

4.     Isolauri E, Rautava S, Kalliomäki M. Food allergy in irritable bowel syndrome: new facts and old fallacies. Gut 2004;53:1391-3. Editorial.

5.     Rautava S, Isolauri E. Cow’s milk allergy in infants with atopic eczema is associated with aberrant production of interleukin-4 during oral cow’s milk challenge. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004;39:529-35.

6.     Rautava S, Kalliomäki M, Isolauri E. New therapeutic strategy for combating the increasing burden of allergic disease: Probiotics-A Nutrition, Allergy, Mucosal Immunology and Intestinal Microbiota (NAMI) Research Group report.
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2005;116:31-7. Review.

7.     Rautava S, Arvilommi H, Isolauri E. Specific probiotics in enhancing maturation of mucosal IgA responses in formula-fed infants. Pediatr Res 2006;60:221-4.

8.     Kainonen E, Rautava S, Korkeamäki M, Isolauri E. Unique cytokine secretion profile in children with both type I diabetes and asthma distinct from that of solely diabetic or asthmatic children. Cytokine 2006;34:198-205.

9.     Rautava S, Ouwehand AC, Salminen S, Isolauri E. Specific probiotics in reducing the risk of acute infections in infancy – a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Submitted.

 Other scientific publications

1.     Rautava S, Isolauri E. The development of gut immune responses and gut microbiota: effects of probiotics in prevention and treatment of allergic disease. Curr Issues Intest Microbiol 2002;3:15-22. Review.

2.     Isolauri E, Rautava S, Kalliomäki M, Kirjavainen P, Salminen S. Role of probiotics in food hypersensitivity. Curr Opinion Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;2:263-271. Review.

3.     Rautava S, Isolauri E. Gut microbiota and the intestinal immune system in food allergy - targets for probiotic therapy. Food Allergy and Intolerance 2003;4:5-31. Review.

4.     Ouwehand AC, Kirjavainen P, Laiho K, Rautava S.  From hypo-allergenic foods to anti-allergenic foods. Food Science and Technology Bulletin 2003. Review. http://www.foodsciencecentral.com/library.html#ifis/12408

5.     Rautava S. Potential uses of probiotics in the neonate. Seminars in fetal & neonatal medicine. In press.





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Updated 12/1/2008