Parasitology
Various kinds of parasites infect humans for long periods of time without killing them, giving rise to tremendous afflictions, social and/or economic loss. We would like to develop deep insight into parasitic diseases and the surrounding factors from various points of view through both field and laboratory studies.
Our goal is to contribute to new knowledge and to provide an enthusiastic environment for the training of the future generation of investigators.
Members
- Professor
- Shinjiro Hamano
- Visiting Professor
- Sammy Njenga
- Visiting Professor
- Abhay Satoskar
- Assistant Professor
- Yoshinori Mitsui
- Assistant Professor
- Risa Nakamura
- Research Fellow
- Yuka Tanaka
- Research Fellow
- Farzaneh Valanezhad
- Research Fellow
- Jalal Alshaweesh
- Visiting Researcher
- Sachiyo Nagi
- Visiting Researcher
- Evans Asena Chadeka
- Visiting Researcher
- Mitsuko Hasegawa
- Visiting Researcher
- Miho Sassa
- Visiting Researcher
- Shumpei Kambe
- Technologist
- Megumi Hamasaki
- Assistant
- Hiromi Oda
- Assistant
- Yasuko Kawabata
- Assistant
- Chiaki Hisata
- Graduate Student
- Ken-ichi Nobusue
- Graduate Student
- Noriko Kobayashi
- Medical Student
- Suzuka Sera
- Medical Student
- Yuri Tsuji
- Medical Student
- Takamichi Urata
- PHASE Program Medical Student
- Holliness Walegwa MWANYENGELE
Activities
We have been researching parasitic diseases in Mbita and Kwale, Kenya, in cooperation with Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and Maseno University. In 2021, we started a new project on schistosomiasis with the support from MEXT Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A). We also try developing ideal monitoring and diagnostic methods for schistosomiasis and leishmaniasis with the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund （GHIT） support. In the laboratory, we maintain Schistosoma mansoni, its intermediate host snail, Brugia malayi, B.pahangi and Aedes aegypti.
We have studied host defense mechanisms against Leishmania spp and Trypanosoma cruzi, and in the process, elucidated the function of the IL-12 cytokine family such as IL-27/WSX-1 during the infections. we have developed animal models of intestinal amoebiasis and devoted ourselves to studying the molecular basis of the pathogenicity of E.hystolytica and host defense mechanisms to it.
Recent main research achievement
- Tanaka et al. Parasitol Int 2021;83:102346.
- Talaam et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021;AAC0041821.
- Zhang et al. Nat Commun 2020;11(1):3461.
- Nakamura et al. iScience 2020;23(9):101544.
- Sassa et al. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020;14(8):e0008473.