Prof. dr. Frits Koning

Career overview

Prof. Frits Koning is a leading expert in mucosal immunology who defined key mechanisms in celiac disease and tissue-resident T cell biology. He introduced cutting-edge technologies such as single-cell and imaging mass cytometry. As a postdoc, he co-identified the γδ T-cell receptor on skin-resident T cells, prompting studies of γδ T cells expanded in celiac duodenum. He dissected the HLA-DQ2/8 association with celiac disease, using electrospray mass spectrometry to identify gluten peptides that bind predisposing HLA-DQ and activate patient CD4+ T cells. He showed that high-affinity binding requires modification by tissue transglutaminase, explaining wheat/barley/rye pathogenicity, the HLA-DQ2 gene-dose effect, and biased TCR usage. With Prof. J. Rossjohn he solved structures of 13 gluten-specific TCR–HLA-DQ–gluten complexes, defining rules for peptide recognition and TCR bias. Recent work implicates bacterially derived gluten-like peptides as potential initiators. He also identified tofacitinib-sensitive aberrant ILC-like cells in refractory celiac disease, informing an ongoing trial.