Taishin Akiyama
Associate Professor,Institute
of Medican Science,University of
Tokyo
Immune reactions toward self-organs
or harmless external antigens were suppressed in healthy
body, which is a state called immune tolerance. Breakdown
of immune tolerance results in autoimmune or allergy, and
its manipulation may enforce the immune reactivity toward
cancer.
Thymus is an organ inducing immune
tolerance as well as developing T cells. In thymus, medullar
epithelial cells play critical roles on the induction of
immune tolerance.
The aims of this study are to elucidate
the molecular mechanism of immune tolerance induced by
thymic medullary epithelial cells and then to establish
artificial systems to regulate immune tolerance.