Publications by authors named "Y Iwakura"
The traditional use of Cordyceps militaris, an entomopathogenic fungus, in East Asian medicine has been well documented. Our previous study revealed that the fruiting body powder of C. militaris, referred to as Ryukyu-kaso, contains 1,3-β-glucan and stimulates bone marrow-derived dendritic cells via a dectin-1-dependent pathway.
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- Memory-phenotype (MP) CD4 T lymphocytes develop from naïve T cells and can differentiate into various T cell subsets to manage inflammation, especially in low-immune settings.
- The study highlights that MP lymphocytes are not only made up of T helper 1 (T1) and T helper 17 (T17) cells but also contain a "undifferentiated" subpopulation that has the potential to develop into these functional subsets.
- The undifferentiated MP lymphocytes possess the ability to proliferate rapidly and can differentiate into T1, T17, and regulatory T cells, which contributes to inflammation, although their response is regulated by existing T cells.
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- Interleukin-1 is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine linked to the development of inflammatory diseases, where its absence in knockout mice leads to conditions like aortitis, arthritis, and dermatitis.
- Research shows that transferring T cells from these IL-1Ra KO mice into nude mice causes similar inflammatory diseases, raising questions about which specific T cell subsets are involved.
- The study found increased levels of a particular CD4+ T cell subset that produces granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in IL-1Ra KO mice, suggesting these cells play a significant role in the enhanced inflammation observed in these models.
Sensory disturbances and central nervous system symptoms are important in patients with Minamata disease. In the peripheral nervous system of these patients, motor nerves are not strongly injured, whereas sensory nerves are predominantly affected. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the sensory-predominant impairment of the peripheral nervous system caused by methylmercury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere are comorbidities and complications in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis that often occur after the appearance of skin inflammation. Statistically, data show that patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis have a shorter life expectancy than patients without psoriatic dermatitis, due to the occurrence of arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and cerebral infarction. Many types of skin inflammation are treated with various antibody preparations, and marked improvement in patients' quality of life can be achieved.
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