Tohoku J. Exp. Med. [JOURNAL]

CD4 T lymphocytes play an essential role in adaptive immune responses and comprise naïve, effector, and memory compartments. In pathogen infection, foreign antigen (Ag)-specific naïve T lymphocytes are activated to give... CD4 T lymphocytes play an essential role in adaptive immune responses and comprise naïve, effector, and memory compartments. In pathogen infection, foreign antigen (Ag)-specific naïve T lymphocytes are activated to give rise to effector and memory cells to contribute to host protection from the pathogen. In addition to the conventional activation pathway, accumulating evidence suggests that some naïve cells can weakly respond to self-Ags to convert to "memory-phenotype (MP) cells" in steady state. Whereas newly generated MP cells adopt a rapidly proliferating, undifferentiated feature, they cease to divide with time while differentiating into distinct subsets including T helper type 1 (Th1)-like "MP1," T helper type 17 (Th17)-like "MP17," follicular helper T (Tfh)-like "MPfh," and regulatory T cells. Functionally, these MP subsets can exert innate and adaptive immune responses to contribute to infectious and anti-tumor immunity as well as autoimmunity, demonstrating both physiological and pathological aspects of MP T lymphocytes. Furthermore, recent reports suggest that self-reactive MP cells are also existent in humans. In this article, I will review our current understanding on generation, maintenance, differentiation, and immunological functions of MP CD4 T lymphocytes and discuss their potential as a new therapeutic target in several disease contexts.

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Disulfiram Mitigates Acinar Cell Damage in the Caerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis Model through Inhibition of the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD Pathway.

Xu J, Ye Y, Zhou X … +4 more , Zhou J, Huang H, Liu Y, Zeng Y

Tohoku J Exp Med · 2026 Jun · PMID 41882836 · Publisher ↗

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is marked by severe inflammatory injury to pancreatic acinar cells, with pyroptosis playing a critical role in its progression. Disulfiram (DSF), traditionally prescribed for alcohol dependence, h... Acute pancreatitis (AP) is marked by severe inflammatory injury to pancreatic acinar cells, with pyroptosis playing a critical role in its progression. Disulfiram (DSF), traditionally prescribed for alcohol dependence, has recently attracted attention for its anti-inflammatory potential. In this study, caerulein-stimulated AR42J cells were used to model AP in vitro and to evaluate whether DSF could alleviate cellular injury and inflammatory responses. Treatment with DSF improved cell viability, suppressed lactate dehydrogenase release, and significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Mechanistic analyses revealed that DSF downregulated NLRP3, cleaved Caspase-1, and the active fragment of gasdermin D (GSDMD), indicating inhibition of the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptotic pathway. Additional experiments showed that pharmacological inhibition of Caspase-1 enhanced the beneficial effects of DSF, while GSDMD overexpression counteracted them, confirming the centrality of this pathway to DSF's protective action. These findings suggest that DSF modulates inflammasome-driven pyroptotic signaling in pancreatic acinar cells under inflammatory conditions and may warrant further investigation in more complex in vivo models of acute pancreatitis.

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A Simulation Study to Evaluate Radiation Exposure Doses by Injection of Radiopharmaceuticals during Nuclear Medicine Procedures.

Morita T, Watabe H, Ono Y … +4 more , Okajima K, Oguma Y, Misaka T, Fujii H

Tohoku J Exp Med · 2026 Mar · PMID 41882835 · Publisher ↗

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Outcomes of Single Lung Transplantation for Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: A Single-Center Retrospective Comparison with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Kitayama C, Watanabe Y, Hirama T … +11 more , Watanabe T, Oishi H, Akiba M, Mukai S, Ikushima T, Kumata S, Togo T, Onodera K, Notsuda H, Suzuki T, Okada Y

Tohoku J Exp Med · 2026 Mar · PMID 41882834 · Publisher ↗

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