Keio University Human Biology-Microbiome-Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q) held a seminar as follows.

Monday, 17:00-18:00 July 28, 2025
Venue: 1F Lounge, Center for Integrated Medical Research, Shinanomachi Campus, Keio University

The 169th Brain Club Seminar-WPI-Bio2Q Open Seminar
Host : Yuzaki Lab, Co-host : Bio2Q

Speaker:
Tetsuo Hasegawa, M.D., Ph.D.
Group leader of Molecular Immunity Unit at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK

Title: “3D imaging of the synovium defines an intricate immunological defense system at the blood-joint barrier”

Joint pain or inflammation is a common and early feature of a variety of systemic diseases. These include autoimmune diseases such as SLE as well as infection in organs distant to the musculoskeletal system including enteric or genitourinary infections which manifest as reactive arthritis. However, why joints are highly responsive to systemic inflammation and where in the membrane called synovium the inflammation starts are unknown. We sought to address these questions by developing a whole mount imaging system of the entire synovium to profile the vascular, neuronal and immune microarchitecture. This revealed the specific localization of highly permeable PV1+ capillaries in the synovium enabling entry of circulating stimuli into the joint. This area of vulnerability was occupied by multiple subsets of macrophages that demonstrated distinct responses to systemic immune challenge and reciprocally interacted with nociceptor neurons forming a blood-joint barrier (BJB) to defend joint tissue.