Publications by authors named "M Kuraoka"

The discovery of broadly protective antibodies to the influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) has raised interest in NA as a vaccine target. However, recombinant, solubilized tetrameric NA ectodomains are often challenging to express and isolate, hindering the study of anti-NA humoral responses. To address this obstacle, we established a panel of 22 non-adherent cell lines stably expressing native, historical N1, N2, N3, N9, and NB NAs anchored on the cell surface.

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() infection the upper respiratory tract causes a fatal CNS disease known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The robust immune response to underlies the immunopathology that characterizes the disease. However, little is known about why this pathogen evades immune control.

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Article Synopsis
  • In 2019, Japan's Ministry of Health highlighted the need for "Kayoi-no-ba" initiatives, but did not offer specific guidance or evaluation methods for local governments to implement these initiatives effectively.
  • Researchers created a framework called "ACT-RECIPE," consisting of six evaluation phases: understanding needs, assessing current status, building teams, implementing initiatives, evaluating results, and making adjustments.
  • The final framework was tested in 50 municipalities in Tokyo to score the effectiveness of their "Kayoi-no-ba" initiatives and analyze their correlation with the number of such initiatives available per 1,000 older residents.
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Influenza infection and vaccination impart strain-specific immunity that protects against neither seasonal antigenic variants nor the next pandemic. However, antibodies directed to conserved sites can confer broad protection. Here we identify and characterize a class of human antibodies that engage a previously undescribed, conserved epitope on the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) protein.

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Phylogenetically and antigenically distinct influenza A and B viruses (IAV and IBV) circulate in human populations, causing widespread morbidity. Antibodies (Abs) that bind epitopes conserved in both IAV and IBV hemagglutinins (HAs) could protect against disease by diverse virus subtypes. Only one reported HA Ab, isolated from a combinatorial display library, protects against both IAV and IBV.

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