Tokyo Women's Medical University

Graduate School of Medical Science

Microbiology and Immunology

About us

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology covers a variety of research fields, ranging from immunology, which studies how the body's immune system protects itself from foreign stimuli, to microbiology, which focuses on the structure, genetics, and metabolism of microbes. We undertake our basic research in close collaboration with physicians from the university hospital to understand how the host immune response endeavors to overcome microbial infection, and how pathobionts elicit pathogenesis, inflammation, and metabolic disorders.

Research

(1) Molecular mechanisms of bacterial-host interactions:
A molecular and genetic approach will be undertaken to elucidate the bacterial structures of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., Escherichia coli and Burkholderia spp., in order to understand how they adhere to and survive in host tissues and evade host immunity.
(2) Analysis of bacterial flora:
A comprehensive analysis of the microbiota of clinical specimens from various diseases will be conducted to investigate the involvement of bacterial flora in pathology. The cellular composition of the mucosal lymphoid tissue, primarily in the intestinal tract, in various animal models will be analyzed to investigate its relationship with disease development. The pathogenesis of diseases of unknown etiology (e.g. immune-related diseases) will be investigated.
(3) Analysis of the pathogenic mechanisms of autoimmune diseases:
The infection-induced effect on self-tolerance will be explored to elucidate the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.
(4) Treatment of metabolic inflammatory disorders:
Obesity-induced chronic inflammation, which is linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, is caused by adipose tissue macrophages. In order to find ways of treating and preventing these metabolic disorders, the anti-inflammatory effects of therapeutic agents and food ingredients on adipocytes or macrophages are being investigated in basic research.
(5) Novel pathogens in laboratory animals:
Newly identified bacteria in laboratory animals will be characterized as potential novel pathogens.

Faculty

Professor and Cheif Lecturer Naoko YANAGISAWA
Associate Professor Toshifumi OSAKA
Researcher Hidehiro UESHIBA
Researcher Yuzuru IIZUKA
Researcher Takashi NISHIDA

Related links

Research Achievements Database

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