Researchers
Kenichi Asano – Development of Sentinel Cell-targeted Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Researcher
- Kenichi Asano
- Associate Professor, Laboratory of Immune Regulation, School of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
Research Theme
Development of Sentinel Cell-targeted Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestine due to inappropriate activation of the immune system by commensal bacteria. Commensals that pass the layer of epithelium encounter innate immune cells in lamina propria (LP). Innate cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells, in LP are heterogeneous, but the roles of different subsets in the exacerbation of IBD are unknown. Among these cells, ‘sentinel macrophages’ are especially important because they detect epithelial damage and commensal invasion and are responsible for the initiation of inflammatory response. The goal of this project is to develop a novel, sentinel cell-targeted therapy for IBD.
