Publications by authors named "C Morimoto"

In hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (PH), pulmonary vascular remodeling is characterized by the emergence of activated adventitial fibroblasts, leading to medial smooth muscle hyperplasia. Previous studies have suggested that CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) plays a crucial role in the pathobiological processes in lung diseases. However, its role in pulmonary fibroblasts in hypoxic PH remains unknown.

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Acute T cell mediated rejection of allografts remains a significant risk factor for early graft loss. Our prior work defined a population of graft-specific CD8 T cells positive for the activated receptor CD43 (expressing the 1B11 epitope) that form during acute rejection, leading us to further understand the in vivo fate and clinical relevance of this population. We found that during acute rejection, the CD43 ICOS phenotype was sensitive for proliferative graft-specific CD8 T cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • CD26 is a T cell costimulatory molecule and its levels are usually increased in autoimmune diseases, but decreased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), indicating a unique aspect of SLE pathology.
  • In this study, researchers analyzed CD26+ and CD26(-) T cell populations from SLE patients, finding an abnormal rise in CD26(-) T cells that display characteristics similar to natural killer T cells.
  • The study suggests that evaluating CD26(-)CD28(-) T cell populations may help in understanding and classifying the complex nature of SLE, particularly since their levels can vary significantly even among inactive patients.
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  • This study investigates how different airway microbiomes might contribute to mucus plugging in patients with asthma, COPD, and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO).
  • It evaluated the sputum microbiome and mucus plug scores in a sample of patients, finding higher mucus scores linked to specific bacteria in ACO and COPD.
  • The research suggests that the presence of certain bacteria, particularly Proteobacteria and Haemophilus, may play a significant role in mucus plugging, especially in patients with ACO and those with varying levels of eosinophilic inflammation.
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Lipid nanoparticles often contain a phosphatidylcholine with a long chain fatty acid, 1,2-distearoyl--3-phosphocholine (DSPC). However, their preparation often encounters difficulties such as the inability to yield <20 nm nanoparticles due to the aggregation-prone behavior of DSPC. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are ∼10 nm protein-bound lipid nanoparticles in our body, and microfluidic preparations of HDL-mimicking nanoparticles (μHDL) have been reported.

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