Dr. Kumamoto obtained his PhD from the University of Tokyo with Dr. Tatsuro Irimura. He started his training
as a biochemist studying the molecular function of mammalian C-type lectins, but later he got interested in
cellular immunology of cells expressing those lectins. In 2007, he moved to Dr. Akiko Iwasaki's laboratory at
Yale University, where he found that a subset of dendritic cells expressing a C-type lectin CD301b/MGL2 is
selectively required for the differentiation of Th2 cells as well as for the maintenance of metabolic
homeostasis. Dr. Kumamoto joined the Center for Immunity and Inflammation in 2017, where he studies the
role of dendritic cell subsets in adaptive immunity and inflammation.
Education
PHD, 2007, The University of Tokyo BS, 2002, The University of Tokyo
Languages
Japanese
Relevant Publications
Kumamoto Y, Hirai T, Wong PW, Kaplan DH, Iwasaki A. CD301b+ dendritic cells suppress T follicular helper
cells and antibody responses to protein antigens. eLife. 2016; 5:e17979
Kumamoto Y, Camporez JPG, Jurczak MJ, Shanabrough M, Horvath T, Shulman GI, Iwasaki A. CD301b+
mononuclear phagocytes maintain positive energy balance through secretion of resistin-like molecule alpha.
Immunity 2016; 45:583-596
Kumamoto Y, Linehan M, Weinstein JS, Laidlaw BJ, Craft JE, Iwasaki A. CD301b+ dermal dendritic cells drive
T helper 2 cell-mediated immunity. Immunity 2013; 39:733-743
Kumamoto Y*, Mattei LM*, Sellers S, Payne GW, Iwasaki A. CD4+ T cells support cytotoxic T lymphocyte
priming by controlling lymph node input. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011; 108:8749-8754
Kumamoto Y, Denda-Nagai K, Aida S, Higashi N, Irimura T. MGL2+ dermal dendritic cells are sufficient to
initiate contact hypersensitivity in vivo. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5619
Areas Of Interest
Role of dendritic cells in immunity and inflammation
Dendritic cells (DCs) are a critical cell type for igniting and regulating adaptive immunity, by integrating
signals from innate immune sensors with their high capacity of antigen presentation. However, considerable
phenotypic heterogeneity exists among DCs and functional differences between DC subsets have been
described. Our goal is to understand the cellular and molecular basis for the division of labor between DC
subsets and apply the knowledge for developing strategies for prevention and cure of diseases. In
particular, our current research focuses on the regulation of adaptive immunity by a DC subset expressing a
C-type lectin CD301b/MGL2. We use mouse models to examine their role and its mechanism in different
types of immune responses.
