Research Groups

Department of Basic Medicine / Pathobiology

Department of Pharmacology

Professor: Keiji Kuba     /  

In our laboratory, we aim to elucidate the principles of life and drug discovery through dissecting the pathology of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and COVID-19, focusing on RNA regulation and ACE2 signal transduction. Even now, when the molecular mechanisms underlying genome/epigenome regula-tion are being elucidated one after another, there are still many unclear points about the regulation of RNA metabolism and epitranscriptome in living organ-isms. Research of RNA metabolism / epitranscriptome is expected to lead to new modalities for drug discovery development, as in the case of corona mRNA vaccines. By utilizing disease biological approach with cutting-edge NGS tech-nology, genetically modified mice and various disease models, we will analyze life phenomena and disease pathologies in a multifaceted and multi-hierarchical manner to understand pathological mechanisms and unknown life principles.

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

We will guide you in the research projects on the role of the RNA regulatory factor CCR4-NOT complex in cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, the regu-latory mechanism of translational regulatory factors in malignant tumors, or the elucidation of the physiological role of Apelin-ACE2 system signal transduction.

   

Pathophysiological and Experimental Pathology

Assistant Professor : Kazunori Nakagawa      /  

Research Interests

The patho-physiological role of vascular remodeling in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and tumors, remains unclear. To elucidate the molecular basis of vascular remodeling and to establish the novel and effective therapy on the basis of sci-entific evidences, we study on the molecular mechanisms of pathological vascu-lar remodeling, and tumorigenesis, as following fields.

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

  1. Patho-physiological regulatory systems of vascular remodeling in angio-genic diseases.
  2. Pathology of atherogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis.
  3. Clinicopathologycal and pathophysiological study on nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
   

Anatomic Pathology

Professor: Yoshinao Oda  /  

Research Interests

Normal tissue morphology is determined by the orderly proliferation, differ-entiation, and cell death of various cells comprising the tissue, and disruption of this homeostasis causes morphological changes. With a focus on malignant solid tumors, our department covers the development of pathological diagnostic methods; analysis of molecular abnormalities, such as gene mutations, epigen-etic abnormalities, and gene expression abnormalities, as potential therapeutic targets; and mechanisms of carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In addition, we will engage in research on intratumor diversity and the tumor microenviron-ment, considering the tumor tissue a heterogeneous cell population consisting of tumor cells with various genetic abnormalities and nontumor cells.

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

  1. Acquisition of knowledge and skills in general diagnostic pathology.
  2. Acquisition of techniques for analyzing gene mutations, epigenomes, and abnormal gene expression (bioinformatics methods).
  3. Spatial analysis of the morphology and molecular abnormalities of malig-nant tumors (image analysis).
  4. Establishment of tumor cell lines and the identification of therapeutic targets using the cell lines.
   

Bacteriology

Professor : Tetsuya Hayashi      /  

Research Interests

We are interested in the relation between lives and the environment, between microbes and hosts, and between infection and civilization. We are studying them at the level of molecules, cells , individuals, and society.

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

  1. Genome analysis of individual strains using NGSs
  2. Large-scale genome comparison at genus, species, or subtype levels
  3. High-resolution, molecular epidemiological analysis of outbreaks by genome analysis
  4. Analysis of microbial communities such as intestinal microflora, by metagenome analysis
  5. Reconstitution of unculturable bacteria by metagenome analysis
  6. Analysis of mobile genetic elements, such as bacteriophages and plasmids, fr om pathogenic bacteria
  7. Analysis of the bacterial pathogen-protozoa interaction
   

Virology

Assistant Professor: Yuta Shirogane     /  

Research Interests

Our main research interest is to understand how viruses infect host cells and cause diseases. To this end, we are studying infections with measles virus and mumps virus using a variety of methods including molecular biology, cell biology, immunology and structural biology.

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

  1. Mechanisms of virus entry and virus-induced membrane fusion
  2. Viral pathogenesis as studied using reverse genetics
  3. Mechanisms of virus neuropathogenicity
  4. Mechanisms of virus evolution
   

Biomedicine

Associate Professor:Eiki Takahashi /  

Research Interests

In the Department of Biomedicine, studies have been focused on the development of disease models and the elucidation of pathological mechanisms using experimental animals. We also conduct researches on the effect of rearing environment on disease phenotypes.

Research Themes

Our present research projects are:
  1. Analysis of effects of rearing environment on behaviors.
  2. Investigation of microbiome monitoring method to ensure reproducibility of animal experiments

Contents of Teaching

Our present research projects are:
  1. Generation of transgenic mice
  2. Generation of gene targeted mouse (knockout mouse)
  3. Screening of disease model marmosets using drug susceptibility
  4. Evaluation of microbiome
   
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