Kohtaro Fujihashi, D.D.S., Ph.D. Professor of Pediatric Dentistry Phone: 205-934-1951 E-mail: kohtarof@uab.edu

Dr. Fujihashi studied pre-dental sciences and dentistry at Nihon University in Chiba, Japan, where he received his D.D.S.  He then came to UAB for post-doctoral training in mucosal immunology in the Department of Oral Biology, UAB School of Dentistry and the Department of Microbiology, UAB Heersink School of Medicine.  He joined the faculty of the Department of Oral Biology in 1991.  Dr. Fujihashi also has studied mucosal immunology in the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases at Osaka University.  In addition to his UAB position, he is visiting Professor of Nihon University School of Dentistry  at Matsudo, Chiba, Japan.

Dr. Fujihashi’s research interests in mucosal immunology focus on the mechanisms by which cytokines and cells regulate mucosal immunity, inflammation, and tolerance.  Current projects address the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate immunity in the elderly, mucosal tolerance, gd, ab T cell and epithelial cell function in mucosal immunity, and abberrant inflammation in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. Further, Dr. Fujihashi studies mucosal vaccine development for Category A agents such as anthrax and botulinum.

Selected Publications

1. Fujihashi, K., Kawabata, S., Hiroi, T., Yamamoto, M., McGhee, J. R., Nishikawa, S. and Kiyono, H. Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interleukin 7 (IL-7) reciprocally induce IL-7 and IL-2 receptors on gd T-cell receptor-positive intraepithelial lymphocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 93:3613-3618, 1996.
2. Fujihashi, K., McGhee, J. R., Kweon, M-N., Cooper, M. D., Tonegawa, S., Takahashi, I. Hiroi, T. Mestecky, J. and Kiyono, H. gd T cell deficient mice have impaired mucosal IgA responses. J. Exp. Med.183:1929-1935, 1996.
3. Dohi, T., Fujihashi K., Rennert, P.D., Iwatani, K., Kiyono, H. and McGhee, J. R. Hapten-induced colitis is associated with colonic patch hypertrophy and Th2-type responses. J. Exp. Med. 189:1169-1179, 1999.
4. Koga, T., McGhee, J. R., Kato, H., Kato, R., Kiyono, H. and Fujihashi, K. Evidence for early aging in the mucosal immune system. J. Immunol. 165: 5352-5359, 2000.
5. Fujihashi, K., Dohi, T., Rennert, P.D., Yamamoto, M., Koga, T., Kiyono, H. and McGhee, J.R.    Peyer’s patches are required for oral tolerance to proteins. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 98:3310-3315, 2001.
6. Kato, H., Fujihashi, K., Kato, R., Yuki, Y. and McGhee, J.R. Oral tolerance revisited ; prior oral tolerization abrogates cholera toxin-induced mucosal IgA responses. J. Immunol. 166:3114-3121, 2001.
7. Hagiwara, Y., McGhee, J. R., Fujihashi, K., Kobayashi, R., Yoshino, N., Kataoka, K., Etani, Y., Kweon, M.-N., Tamura, S., Kurata, T., Takeda, Y., Kiyono, H. and Fujihashi, K. Protective mucosal immunity in aging is associated with functional CD4 T cells in nasopharyngeal-associated lymphoreticular tissue. J. Immunol. 170: 1754-1762, 2003.
8. Kataoka, K., McGhee, J. R., Kobayashi, R., Fujihashi, K., Shizukuishi, S. and Fujihashi, K. Nasal Flt3 ligand cDNA elicits CD11c+ CD8+ dendritic cells for enhanced mucosal immunity. J. Immunol. 172: 3612-3619, 2004.
9. Yoshino, N., Lü, F. X.-S., Fujihashi, K., Hagiwara, Y., Kataoka, K., Lu, D., Hirst, L., Honda, M., van Ginkel, F. W., Takeda, Y., Miller, C. J., Kiyono, H. and  McGhee, J. R. A novel adjuvant for mucosal immunity to HIV-1 gp120 in non-human primates. J. Immunol. 173: 6850-6857, 2004.
10. Kobayashi, R., Kohda, T., Kataoka, K., Ihara, H., Kozaki, S., Pascual, D.W., Staats, H.F., Kiyono, H., McGhee, J.R. and Fujihashi, K. A novel neurotoxoid vaccine prevents mucosal botulism. J. Immunol. 174:2190-2195, 2005.