It has been known that Th1-Treg, a subset of Treg that strongly suppresses cancer immunity, accumulates in tumors at high levels. However, its molecular mechanism was completely unknown. 

The research group of Ayumi Kuratani (Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University), and Masahiro Yamamoto (Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (WPI-IFReC/CiDER) revealed that the chemokine PF4 produced by macrophages (Arg1+TAM) that produce arginase 1 (Arg1) in tumors induces Th1-Treg and suppresses cancer immunity. It is highly anticipated that PF4 becomes a new target for cancer immunotherapy in the future.
(online publishing in Science on Nov. 21, 2024)

Contact

Prof. MasahiroYamamoto

myamamotobiken.osaka-u.ac.jp

Immunoparasitology