Ayumi Yoshizaki

Mice s.c. injected with bleomycin, an experimental model for human systemic sclerosis, develop skin and lung fibrosis, which is mediated by inflammatory cell infiltration. This process is highly regulated by multiple adhesion molecules and does not require Ag sensitization. To assess the role of adhesion molecules in this pathogenetic process, bleomycin-induced fibrosis was examined in mice lacking adhesion molecules. L-selectin and/or ICAM-1 deficiency inhibited skin and lung fibrosis with decr

This study is the first to show that rapamycin has a significant inhibitory effect on fibrosis in both TSK/+ and bleomycin-induced SSc model mice. These results suggest that rapamycin might be an attractive candidate for clinical trials in SSc patients.

This study is the first to show that treatment with topo I and CFA induces SSc-like skin and lung fibrosis and autoimmune abnormalities. We also suggest that IL-6 plays important roles in the development of fibrosis and autoimmune abnormalities in this novel SSc model.

Previous investigations have shown that interleukin (IL)-11/IL-11 receptor alpha-chain (IL-11Ralpha), a member of the PI3K, MAPK and JAK-STAT activating family of cytokines/receptors, correlates with the regulation of tumor progression. In this study, we established the IL-11/IL-11Ralpha expression profile in human colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) and clarified its signaling pathway and role in the invasion activity of CRC cell lines. To elucidate the role of IL-11/IL-11Ralpha, we examined 103 ca

Systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is the most frequent cause of death for SSc but there is still no sufficient treatment available. Although cyclophosphamide (CYC) therapy is a common treatment which has shown statistical efficacy against SSc-ILD to date, its effects are temporary and not enough. Rituximab (RTX), the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has recently shown efficacy in many autoimmune diseases. In SSc-ILD, RTX is also considered to be one of the novel tre

These findings suggest that B cell depletion inhibits tissue fibrosis via suppression of profibrotic macrophage differentiation in mice with BLM-SSc, providing a new rationale for B cell depletion therapy in SSc.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by tissue fibrosis and autoimmunity. Although the pathogenic relationship between autoimmunity and clinical manifestations of SSc remains unknown, SSc patients display abnormal immune responses including the production of disease-specific autoantibodies. Previous studies have demonstrated that B cells play a critical role in systemic autoimmunity and disease expression through various functions such as induction of the activation of other immune cells in

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a poor prognosis. Among the various complications of SSc, treatment options for the fibrotic lesions, skin sclerosis, and SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) have been limited. However, since 2019, the efficacy and safety of nintedanib, tocilizumab, and rituximab for SSc or SSc-ILD have been demonstrated in double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials, respectively. The antifibrotic agent nintedanib was approved