FK-KMK UGM. Mucosa is a tissue which covers all the cavity inside our body such as in the digestion system, respiration system and reproduction system. Even though located inside the body, mucosa is susceptible to microbe or any outside disease cause such as from food or air consumption. Mucosa immune system has a specific function which can be used for protecting body from infection. However, some kinds of microbe still can infect our body if our immune system was not strong enough. Most of infection disease such as influenza, tuberculosis, leprosy, diarrhea, worm infection and fungus until HIV-AIDS use mucosa as the entrance-way for the microbe. Infection through mucosa can also enter the bloodstream and become the systemic infection that threatens life.
Mucosa immune system needs to balance its role as the protector from microbe infection with the tolerance from harmless environment like food and any other source which can go through with air. The disturbance of this tolerance will ensued in allergic disease. Mucosa immune system can also react unusually at the body’s cells that create autoimmune disease. Mucosa immune system regulation by the existence of good bacteria (flora normal) such as Bacteriodes, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria and regulation by the nervous systems can be used as the development of inflammation therapy in mucosa.
One of the intervention that has been developed many times to prevent infection is vaccination. Mucosa vaccination, for example through the digestion system or respiration system are the best way to give vaccine to prevent the microbe which enters through mucosa. However, there are still some problems to produce the vaccine with a good distribution through mucosa.
Good understanding about the mucosa immune system related to any kinds of infection are expected to increase the research efforts to upgrade the medical service in infection disease sector. Currently, the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing Universitas Gadjah Mada (FK-KMK UGM) encourages some basic research to obtain a deep understanding of this issue. Definitely the powerful research can be the base of a good medical development service. To encourage basic research for academicians and practitioners, Department of Histology organized a national symposium on “Mucosa Immunology: Challenge and Chance Research with the Application in Clinical Practice” on 14-15 September 2018 at Auditorium FK-KMK UGM.
The national symposium was held in conjunction to celebrate the 70th birthday of Prof. dr. Marsetyawan HNE Soesatyo -a professor and an Indonesian immunology scientist. Besides the speakers from UGM, scientists from Jakarta and Surabaya also delivered lectures to explain the latest basic research on immunology mucosa.
