Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research
Open Access

Kiyoshi Ariizumi

Biography

Immune responses need to be tightly regulated, particularly in the skin where the ability to defend against infections and cancers should be balanced. This key process is heavily dependent on proper switching the differentiation program of myeloid cells between the immuno-stimulators and the immunosuppressors. One-sided differentiation causes hyperactivation or immunosuppression, leading to autoimmune diseases (e.g., psoriasis on the skin) or promoting skin cancer growth, respectively. We are studying molecular mechanisms through which myeloid cells (particularly, dendritic cells and macrophages) switch to the suppressors under the pathological conditions of psoriatic inflammation and melanoma, using mouse models (transgenic and gene-disrupted mice) and human clinical samples. We are also thinking about translational studies to make the results of basic research applicable to the development of new treatments for these skin diseases.

Research Interest

Immune evasion by melanoma, Inflammation-associated carcinogenesis, Negative regulation of T cell-mediated immunity.