Chalatip Chompunud Na Ayudhya, D.D.S., D.Sc.D.
Contact: chalatipc@nu.ac.th
Research interests: Oral mucosal lesions, Oral diseases, Oral diagnostic science, Mast cells, GPCR

Description of current research

I am particularly interested in basic and translational research related to immunologically-mediated oral diseases. My current research focuses on elucidating how a mast-cell-specific receptor, Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor-X2 (MRGPRX2), contributes to host defense and inflammatory diseases. Besides allergy, mast cells play crucial roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes, including tissue homeostasis, host defense, and inflammatory responses. In addition to the classical high-affinity IgE receptor, human mast cells express a newly identified MRGPRX2 receptor, which has been implicated in several mast cell-mediated health and disease, ranging from host defense to neurogenic inflammation and pain. My recent studies have demonstrated the molecular mechanisms underlying MRGPRX2 signalling and regulation in response to the neuropeptide substance P, implicated in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory-associated conditions. Seeking novel insights into the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated oral diseases may offer a better rationale for diagnosis and innovative treatment modalities for these conditions.