Protozoology


 

Members

Professor
Osamu Kaneko
Assistant Professor
Taeko Naruse
Assistant Professor
Minami Baba
Assistant Professor
Yukiko Miyazaki
Research Fellow
Ben-Yeddy Abel Chitama
Research Fellow
Chuang Huai
Visiting Researcher
Haruki Uemura
Assistant
Miki Kinoshita
Assistant
Momoko Sakura
Graduate Student
Maya Suzuki
Graduate Student
Too Edwin Kimeli
Graduate Student
Thant Zin Tun
Graduate Student
Bitshi Ampas Mimie
Graduate Student
Ezenwanne Chukwuma Stephen

Activities

Malaria is responsible for a huge burden of death and disease in large areas of the tropical and sub-tropical world. Unfortunately, those countries hardest hit by the disease are often amongst the poorest. Despite continuing efforts, there is still no effective vaccine against the disease. In order to design and implement effective disease intervention strategies, we believe that one of the key priorities in malaria research should be the strengthening of our understanding of the basic biology of the parasite. We are currently investigating some fundamental aspects of the parasite’s life cycle, such as the molecular interactions and signaling mechanisms behind red blood cell (RBC) invasion and the phenomenon of cytoadherence of parasite-infected RBCs. We utilize a variety of malaria parasites including human-infecting Plasmodium falciparum, the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii, and Plasmodium knowlesi a causative agent of zoonotic human malaria. To expand a platform for basic and clinical malaria research, we are investigating the molecular epidemiology of malaria parasites in endemic countries, the biology of Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites, and the establishment of a novel malaria model using ungulate Plasmodium In addition, we are also conducting research about the function and expression mechanism of trans-sialidase and the stage specific adaptation mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi that cause Chagas disease.

Recent main research achievement

  1. Otsuki H et al. Biomolecules 2023;13(3):458.
  2. Nugraheni et al. Sci Rep 2023;13:145.
  3. Ward et al. J Infect Dis 2022:jiac469.
  4. Chuang et al. Sci Rep 2022;12(1):14942.
  5. Yahata et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2021;118:e2114442118.

Achievement list