2026.05.14
[Review] Elucidating the Mechanism of Inflammatory Amplification in Kawasaki Disease: The Role of the IL-33/ST2 Signaling Pathway
A research group led by Lecturer Seigo Okada (Department of Pediatrics, Yamaguchi University Hospital) and Professor Shunji Hasegawa (Graduate School of Medicine) has published a review article on the role of the IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway in Kawasaki disease vasculitis.
The paper proposes that IL-33, an “alarmin” (danger signal) released during cell injury, functions as a critical factor in amplifying inflammation. Furthermore, it highlights that the soluble receptor sST2 serves as a biomarker reflecting disease activity and represents a potential novel therapeutic target.
This work was published in the academic journal Expert Review of Clinical Immunology on April 13, 2026.
- Division of Advanced Genome Editing Therapy
- Seigo Okada (Pediatrics)
- Shunji Hasegawa (Pediatrics)
- Title：Interleukin-33/ST2 axis in Kawasaki disease: biology, vascular pathology, and future therapeutic strategies
- Authors：Okada S, Lee PY, Yasudo H, Ohnishi Y, Son MBF, Newburger JW, Hasegawa S
- Journal： Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2026（Epub ahead of print）
- DOI：10.1080/1744666X.2026.2655165
- ＜Research Inquiries＞
- Department of Pediatrics, Yamaguchi University Hospital
- Lecturer Seigo Okada (Pediatrics)
- E-mail: okadas@ ( followed by yamaguchi-u.ac.jp)
- ＜Regarding public relations＞
- Yamaguchi University Research Institute for Cell Design Medical Science (Life Science Support Section, Academic Research Division)
- TEL: 0836-85-3065
- E-mail: sh088@ ( followed by yamaguchi-u.ac.jp)