Immunogenetics

The Department of Immunogenetics aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that determine human susceptibility and resistance to tropical infectious diseases.

Members

Professor
Kenji Hirayama
Assistant
Yukiko Plat

Activities

We are analyzing human immunity to t ropical infectious diseases such as protozoa (cruz-trypanosomes and malaria) and viruses (dengue fever and COVID-19) at the genetic and molecular levels. Furthermore, we aim to develop drugs, vaccines and diagnostics based on pathophysiological analysis of each infectious disease. Clinical research is conducted in collaboration with clinical groups in endemic areas overseas. Major overseas institutions include: 1) Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM), Philippines; 2) Autonomous University of Gabriel Rene Moreno, Bolivia; 3) Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria; and 4) University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, joint research is being conducted with the London School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, the Global Health Institute of Barcelona, the University of Toyama, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Osaka Public University, among others. In addition, we are participating in drug development projects in industry-academia-government-private partnerships, with a focus on NTDs.
Ongoing research projects include the following

  • Immunogenetic analysis of malaria in endemic areas in Kenya (SATREPS, KEMRI, SHINE Program)
  • Nanoparticle nucleic acid vaccines (SCARDA)
  • Development of new antiprotozoan drugs derived from Chinese herbal medicine or natural products (University of Toyama, Nagasaki University)
  • Search for biomarkers for early complications of chronic Chagas disease (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
  • Project for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of Chagas disease (GHIT, JICA Grassroot Partnership Program)
  • Single cell analysis of T-cell fractions from dengue fever patients (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research)

Recent main research achievement

  1. Kinoshita et al. Trop Med Health 2024; 52(1): 17.
  2. Mohammed et al. Trop Med Health 2023; 51(1): 12.
  3. Mizuta et al. ChemMedChem 2023; 18(7): e202200586.
  4. Nakamae et al. Front Immunol 2023; 14: 1116299.
  5. Iglesias Rodríguez et al. Lancet Reg Health West Pac 2022; 31: 100574.

Achievement list