Research
Projects
Fundamental Principles for research
We are working on analyzing host immune dynamics in viral infections, using animal models as our primary research subjects. Our main research projects are "I. Study of tissue/cell population-specific antigen-expressing mice panel for HIV reservoir analysis" and "II. Elucidation of the association between T-cell dynamics and pathogenesis of COVID-19". Researchers and graduate students lead multiple research topics. We aim to mentor students to develop broad expertise and skills in infectious immunology and to encourage the training of future leaders in this field of research.
Ⅰ. Study of tissue/cell population-specific antigen-expressing mice panel for HIV reservoir analysis
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Nomura, Kurokawa (D2), Chatherine(D2), Innocent(D1)
Although the development of cART decreased AIDS-related deaths in people living with HIV, the treatment to eliminate HIV reservoir completely leading the cure remains unachieved. Effective host immune in combination with ART would be required for the elimination of the re-activated reservoir. Understanding the characteristics of individual reservoirs in tissues/cell populations and the factors essential for eradication are important for the development of HIV cure. Construction of novel effective animal models focusing on reservoirs in tissues/cell populations are necessary as basic components for HIV cure. Therefore, we propose to construct a panel of animal models that represent reservoir in individual tissues/cell populations. We are constructing a panel of conditional antigen-expressing mice using conditional knockout technology, and performing parallel analyses with this panel on multiple tissues/cell populations as animal models with reactivated reservoirs.This research will reveal the reservoirs in tissues/cell populations that are easily or difficult to be eliminated by the immune responses, and contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism of reservoir establishment and HIV cure.
組織特異的条件付きHIV抗原発現マウスパネルの構築
抗原発現組織における免疫応答の解析
Elucidation of the association between T-cell dynamics and pathogenesis of COVID-19.
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We are constructing an experimental system of mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 that show symptoms of pneumonia and those that develop mild disease and evaluate the differentiation and activation conditions of T cells in lung tissues. Furthermore, we will analyze the T-cell dynamicsto analyze the immunological factors that cause severe or mild disease course in COVID-19.
This research will contribute not only to the development of SARS-CoV-2-specific therapies for late-stage infection of COVID-19 in the future, but also to understanding classical respiratory infections and emerging infectious diseases.
Nomura, Kurokawa (D2), Chatherine(D2), Innocent(D1)
SARS-CoV-2病態決定のメカニズムの探求
Ⅲ. 動物モデルを用いたHIV/SIV潜伏感染と抗原特異的T細胞の体内動態の解明
HIV感染症のモデルであるSIV（サル免疫不全ウイルス）感染アカゲザルエイズモデルを用い、潜伏感染細胞が残存する体内の組織と細胞分画を明らかにする研究を継続して行っています。多数の感染症動物モデルの構築経験を有しており、COVID-19の軽症/無症状モデルであるSARS-CoV-2経鼻感染カニクイザル感染モデルを樹立し、CD8陽性T細胞の機能不全だけでは、SARS-CoV-2の感染制御不全・重症化に直結するわけではないことを示しています（PLoS Pathog 2021）。
Nomura
潜伏感染と抗原特異的T細胞の体内動態の解明
