Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9899
ISSN: 2155-9899
Makoto Yawata, Kevin John Selva, Jay Siak, Liu Yu Chi, Louis Tiong, Jodbhir S Mehta and Nobuyo Yawata
National University of Singapore, Singapore
Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore
Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Cell Immunol
Amongst the various mucosal surfaces in the human body, the ocular surface is unique in that the tissues are exposed to the eternal environment and is readily accessible with minimally invasive means. Although the conjunctiva is a mucosal surface that is a site prone to infections, the immune systems operating within the conjunctiva are yet vastly underexplored. Here we describe the mechanisms of an innate immune response against adenovirus infection, where members of the group D family of viruses are specifically known to trigger a severe form of inflammation: Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). In our ongoing study of the innate immune responses in clinical cases of EKC, we have been able to monitor the dynamic changes in natural killer cell phenotypes and function over the course of virus infection. To our knowledge, this is one of the unique instances where such immune monitoring has been possible over the course of infection at a human mucosal surface. Based on the clinical observations, we have verified through in vitro experimentation the mechanisms by which group D adenoviruses but not other adenovirus types specifically act on epidermal cells to subvert NK cell responses as a form of immune escape. This study is a demonstration as to how the conjunctiva can be viewed as one promising site for human mucosal research in situ.
Makoto Yawata is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and Principal Investigator at Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore. As a Physician, he practiced in Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology in Japan. He proceeded to train as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Professor Peter Parham’s Laboratory in Stanford University before joining the National University of Singapore as Faculty. His research activities centers on the basic and clinical aspects of the immunobiology and genetics of human natural killer cells. As an Academic Educator, he trains Physicians in acquiring the skills necessary to conduct clinical investigations as curriculum Director of a nationwide program. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for ‘Immunology’, an official journal of the British Society for Immunology.
Email: paeym@nus.edu.sg