Tsunahiko Hirano

I was deeply hounored to be a part of the APSR Assembly Virtual Meeting and receive the silver award of Asthma Assembly Symposium in 2020. The title of my presentation was "Airway TNF-LIGHT expression and associated molecular inflammatory profiles in asthma patients with persistent airflow limitation." New TNF family ligand, LIGHT induces inflammation by proinflammatory cytokines and promotes fibrosis in the airway and the molecule has been thought to be a crucial driver of the mechanism of difficult asthma. Therefore, we demonstrated that abundant LIGHT in the asthmatic airway was associated with persistent airflow limitation during treatment by ICS and the overexpression of cells and mediators which are linked to airway remodeling and steroid resistance. In short, inflammatory cells, which was induced by stimulation such as smoking, air-pollution and virus, could provide extracellular matrix (ECM) dysregulation, neutrophil / T cell activation and oxidative / nitrative stress through LIGHT. Our results suggested that cooperative involvement of LIGHT with inflammatory and profibrogenic radical/molecules may have a pivotal role in the persistently steroid-resistant airflow limitation of patients with asthma.

I know that I wouldn't have been at the AVM if it was not for the support of my supervisor Kazuto Matsunaga and my coworkers. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone have been supporting to me, people involved in the selections and all related people. I hope I contribute to the further success of the APSR and respiratory medicine.　Furthermore, I want to attend the APSR annual congress and am looking forward to being able to see APSR members again in the future.