We are pleased to announce that Professor Yumi Matsuoka-Nakamura, MD, PhD Professor at The University of Osaka, Japan, and a Principal Investigator at the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), will join the Second Conjoint RIKEN-ISM 2026 as a speaker and deliver a presentation entitled “From Quorum-Sensing-Driven Pathogenesis to Microbiome: Targeted Therapies in Atopic Dermatitis“.

Her work focuses on host-microbe interactions in skin and the role of quorum sensing in Staphylococcus aureus.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with dysbiosis of the skin microbiome, particularly colonization by Staphylococcus aureus. However, whether S. aureus acts as a pathogenic driver or a relatively benign colonizer depends on how its virulence is regulated within the skin environment. The accessory gene regulator (Agr) quorum-sensing (QS) system plays a central role in controlling virulence gene expression, linking bacterial communication to host–microbe interactions. Our recent study suggests that Agr activity is shaped by ecological and evolutionary dynamics, including nutrient availability and inter-strain competition, leading to the emergence of non-producing “cheater” variants. These dynamics can shift bacterial populations toward reduced virulence states, indicating that pathogenicity is not fixed but context-dependent. In this talk, I will discuss how QS-mediated regulation of S. aureus integrates with host immunity to determine disease outcomes in AD. I will further highlight emerging microbiome-targeted therapeutic strategies, including ecological modulation and quorum-quenching approaches, and discuss their potential for preventive and therapeutic applications.