The Wilson laboratory is focused on gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation and carcinogenesis. We study the host immune response to the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori that causes peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. This includes the innate immune response in macrophages and the identification of ways that this response is ineffective. We have also elucidated mechanisms whereby epithelial responses are inappropriate, leading to risk for cancer development. We study novel mechanisms for inflammation and cellular/DNA damage, which leads to increased cancer risk.