APPW2025

Oranizers :Katsumori Segawa (Tokyo Medical and Dental University) and Tomohiko Taguchi (Tohoku University)

Joint Session : The Japanese Society for Immunology,
Sponsored by : Reevaluation of self-recognition by immune system to decipher its physiological advantages and pathological risk

The immune system has been recognized as a mechanism for sensing and eliminating non-self-pathogens. However, recent discoveries have shown that it also recognizes self-molecules. The immune system's self-recognition has been perceived as harmful, self-attacking, or as biologically insignificant, weak responses. Nonetheless, it is now becoming evident that this self-recognition can also play a beneficial role in biological responses. Additionally, molecules previously not considered part of the immune system, which is involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis, are being discovered to initiate defense responses against pathogens by recognizing self-molecules. Thus, "sensing and recognizing self-substances" significantly impacts the organism through various processes, although its full implications are yet to be understood. This symposium will discuss how "self-recognition" affects various functions such as immunity, neural functions, and development.