Home > Press Releases
JST Press Release

Apr. 2, 2014
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
5-3, Yonbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8666
URL http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/index.html

Discovery of a new signaling pathway regulating the immune senescence

The research group has revealed that Menin, which is known as a tumor suppressor, inhibits CD4 T cell senescence. The T-cell specific Menin deficiency results in the premature senescence of CD4 T cells, which is accompanied by dysregulated expression of pro-inflammatory factors. The transcriptional repressor Bach2 was identified to be a downstream target of Menin that inhibits CD4 T cell senescence and abnormalities in pro-inflammatory factor expressions. The results will be useful for understanding the age-associated abnormalities in immune function.

Researcher Information

JST PRESTO
Research Area: “Elucidation and control of the mechanisms underlying chronic inflammation”
Research Theme: “Control of the mechanisms underlying chronic inflammation through epigenetic modulation of T cell memory”

Journal Information

Makoto Kuwahara, Junpei Suzuki, Soichi Tofukuji, Takeshi Yamada, Makoto Kanoh, Akira Matsumoto, Saho Maruyama, Kohei Kometani, Tomohiro Kurosaki, Osamu Ohara, Toshinori Nakayama & Masakatsu Yamashita
“The Menin—Bach2 axis is critical for regulating CD4 T-cell senescence and cytokine homeostasis”
Nature Communications, Published online 02 April 2014
doi: 10.1038/ncomms4555

Contact

[About Research]
Masakatsu Yamashita, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Immunology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine
E-mail:
http://www.m.ehime-u.ac.jp/school/immunology/englishtoppage.html

[About Program]
Koji Matsuo, Takafumi Kawaguchi, and Toshiyuki Shingo
Life Innovation Group, Department of Innovation Research, JST
E-mail:

Japanese


JST, an integrated organization of science and technology in Japan, establishes an infrastructure for the entire process from the creation of knowledge to the return to the society. For more information, visit http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/