Dr. Chie Tamamoto - Mochizuki

Dr. Chie Tamamoto-Mochizuki, DVM, our first WFA Scholarship Winner, worked and studied in Japan before coming to North Carolina State University to do graduate work under Prof. Thierry Olivry in the area of cell biology. Thanks to the support of her sponsors, NCSU and WFA, she was able to conduct a study of cells that are the key drivers of itch in canine atopic dermatitis The study looked at Cytopoint, used to relieve itch in dogs, and she published an article in 2019 about using monoclonal antibodies to block cells that cause allergy flares.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Those of you familiar with the Westie Foundation are probably aware that we award grants and scholarships to a number of worthy veterinary candidates who are interested in understanding diseases that affect Westies. These awards have included veterinary students as well as post-graduate veterinarians who are pursuing a career in research and academics.

In 2018, we awarded a grant to Dr. Tamamoto-Mochizuki to provide support for her dermatology residency and graduate work at North Carolina State University. She earned her DVM from Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Japan in 2007, followed by a four-year residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Tokyo. She came to the USA to study with veterinary dermatologists at North Carolina State University, and completed her residency and board-certification through the Asian College of Veterinary Dermatology in 2018. Her PhD was awarded in 2021; her research focused on immunology as it relates to skin. Her special interest is itch, and how IL-31, the itch molecule, contributes to the itch of canine atopic dermatitis. For those of us whose dogs have taken Cytopoint or Apoquel, IL-31 is the target by which these medications decrease itch.

Dr. Tamamoto-Mochizuki has recently joined the veterinary faculty at the University of Tennessee as an assistant professor, where she continues to study how IL-31 works in the skin. She is currently teaching veterinary students how to diagnose and treat skin diseases in dogs and cats, and is a current member of the International Committee on Allergic Diseases in Animals (ICADA). This committee develops guidelines for how best to treat our allergic dogs and cats, and promotes continued research on atopic diseases in all our veterinary species. Dr.Tamamoto-Mochizuki is active in continuing education for veterinarians in the management of skin diseases, particularly those involving allergy. She has published several papers, and we are proud to have played a role in her career development. Below is a list of her publications.

• Introduction to the ICADA 2023 canine atopic dermatitis pathogenesis review articles and updated definition.Eisenschenk MC, Hensel P, Saridomichelakis MN, Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Pucheu-Haston CM, Santoro D. Vet Dermatol. 2024 Feb;35(1):3-4. doi: 10.1111/vde.13183.
• Update on the role of genetic factors, environmental factors and allergens in canine atopic dermatitis. Hensel P, Saridomichelakis M, Eisenschenk M, Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Pucheu-Haston C, Santoro D; International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA). Vet Dermatol. 2024 Feb;35(1):15-24.doi: 10.1111/vde.13210. Epub 2023 Oct 15. PMID: 37840229 Review.
• Cytokine transcriptome profiling in acute experimental canine atopic dermatitis skin lesions after IL-31 inhibition with lokivetmab. Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Crawford N, Eder JM, Gonzales AJ, Olivry T. Vet Dermatol. 2023 Aug;34(4):327-338. doi: 10.1111/vde.13159.
• Update on the skin barrier, cutaneous microbiome and host defence peptides in canine atopic dermatitis. Santoro D, Saridomichelakis M, Eisenschenk M, Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Hensel P, Pucheu-Haston C; International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA). Vet Dermatol. 2024 Feb;35(1):5-14. doi:10.1111/vde.13215.
• IL-31 and IL-31 receptor expression in acute experimental canine atopic dermatitis skin lesions. Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Olivry T. Vet Dermatol. 2021 Dec;32(6):631-e169. doi: 10.1111/vde.13034. PMID:34796564.
• Proactive maintenance therapy of canine atopic dermatitis with the anti-IL-31 lokivetmab. Can a monoclonal antibody blocking a single cytokine prevent allergy flares? Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Paps JS, Olivry T. Vet Dermatol. 2019 Jan 23. doi: 10.1111/vde.12715.
• Pilot evaluation of the antipruritic efficacy of a topical transient receptor potential melastatin subfamily 8 (TRPM8) agonist in dogs with atopic dermatitis and pedal pruritus.Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Murphy KM, Olivry T. Vet Dermatol. 2018 Feb;29(1):29-e14. doi: 10.1111/vde.12486.
• Transcriptomic profiling of dorsal root ganglia in atopic and healthy dogs: A comparative RNA sequencing study with implications in cutaneous itch research.Tamamoto-Mochizuki C, Mishra SK. Vet Dermatol. 2025 Jan 27. doi: 10.1111/vde.13324.

Congratulations to Dr. Tamamoto-Mochizuki for creating and stewarding this important research and body of work that will help our Westies itch and skin issues well into the future.