Laboratory of Adjuvant Innovation
1. Members
Project Leader | Etsusi Kuroda |
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Deputy Project Leader | Norihumi Iijima |
Collaborating researcher | Fumihiko Takeshita, Nao Jonai, Miyuki Tozuka, Kazuki Miyaji, Tatsuya Oka, Nobuyoshi Kobayashi, Fumitaka Fujita, Kaori Saito, Yuta Ohira, Kouji Ozasa, Shingo kobari, Shiori Egashira, Burcu Temizoz, Michelle Lee, Syoko Nogusa, Atsuko Kubo |
Technical Assistants | Akiko Okabe, Mariko Nakamura |
Office Work Assistant | Mayu kamada |
Research Trainee | Takayuki Shibahara, Tomoya Hayashi, Kou Hioki |
2. Background and Aims
Successful vaccines contain a component as an adjuvant that activates innate immune system, thereby eliciting antigen specific immune responses. Many of the adjuvant appeared to be a ligand for innate immune receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs), which are thus being a promising target to develop a novel adjuvant to elicit vaccine immunogenicity. Towards the optimal vaccine development, it is critical to understand how these innate immune receptor(s)-mediated innate immune activation by various adjuvants control their consequent adaptive immune responses to vaccine.
Our laboratory is to conduct functional and structural analysis of innate immune receptors and their interaction with the cognate ligand, which are often utilized as vaccine adjuvants. In addition, we continue to invent novel strategies and technologies to develop better and safer vaccines and their adjuvants. Our particular focus towards this goal is on elucidating the intra- and inter-cellular signaling pathways that mediate the immunogenicity of vaccines. By doing so, we hope to gain some senses not only for developing more efficient technologies for vaccines and adjuvants, but also ensuring their safety to higher level.
Laboratory of Adjuvant Innovation
kenishii[at]nibiohn.go.jp |