English

Chronic inflammation is involved not only in immune disorders such as allergies and autoimmune diseases, but also in neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, lifestyle-related disorders, and even cancer and aging. Therefore, numerous cases are known in which controlling inflammation leads to improvement of pathological conditions. Our research aims to discover novel strategies for the regulation of chronic inflammation, grounded in basic immunological studies.

Through detailed analyses of how innate immune cells—such as macrophages and neutrophils, which play crucial roles in inflammation—mediate inflammatory responses and tissue repair, we explore and identify candidate molecules that can suppress inflammatory responses and promote tissue regeneration, thereby linking our findings to academic drug discovery. Diverse inflammatory stimuli sensed by innate immune cells from their environment are transmitted intracellularly as signals via endolysosomes acting as hubs, triggering cellular responses. Within endolysosomes, inflammatory signals are integratively regulated together with metabolic and nutritional signals. This organelle space thus harbors promising drug targets capable of effectively suppressing inflammation and ameliorating pathological conditions. Indeed, we have demonstrated that multifunctional amino acid transporters localized in the endolysosomes of immune cells serve as therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases, leading to successful academic drug discovery and subsequent transfer to global mega-pharmaceutical companies.

In addition, our laboratory has identified other therapeutic candidate molecules, and, by broadly employing approaches from immunology, cell biology, metabolism, molecular biology, and biochemistry, we are advancing research together with numerous collaborators and students across disciplines. Our goal is to develop novel therapeutic strategies for diseases such as autoimmune disorders, fibrosis, and infectious diseases.