1. Members

Project Leader	YAMAMOTO Takuya
Senior research fellow	TAKAHAMA Shokichi
Research Fellow	NOGIMORI Takuto
Postdoctoral Fellow	NISHIYAMA Ayae
Guest Professor/Associated Professor	AKITA Hirofumi※10, SATOU Yorifumi※8,9, TAKAHASHI Yoshimasa※1, TANAKA Satoshi※12, TERAHARA Kazutaka※1, BABA Masaya※9, MATSUOKA Hiromi※6, YOKOTA Yasuko※2, YOSHIOKA Yasuo※7, WATANABE Rei※5
Collaborative Researcher	KAYO Hiroyuki※12, SUGAWARA Yuko※12, SUGIHARA Takashi※5, HIGASHIGUCHI Masaya※11, Trung T. Vu※6
Technical Staff	MORIISHI Eiko, IKEDA Mami, YAGOTO Mika
Secretary	HIGASHI Nozomi
PhD Student	MASUTA Yuji
Trainee	MURAKAMI Hirotomo※3, NAGATSUKA Yuta※3, KUME Miki※4

　※1 National Institute of Infectious Diseases
　※2 School of Health Sciences, Tokyo University of Technology
　※3 Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University
　※4 Department of Ingegrated Medicine, Darmatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University
　※5 Ingerative Medicine for Allergic and Immunological Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University
　※6 Cutaneous Immunology, iFrec, Osaka University
　※7 The Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University
　※8 Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University
　※9 The International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University
　※10 Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka International Cancer Institute
　※11 Kawanishi City Hospital
　※12 Nippon Becton Dickinson Company, Ltd.

2. Background and Objectives

We aim to discover new immune factors for protection against and treatment of infectious diseases and cancer through the analysis of human clinical samples in our laboratory and to apply these findings in the development of novel vaccines and therapies. Given the rapidly aging populace of Japan, we believe that advancing translational research into aging-associated immunosenescence is important. Research has shown that advanced immunosenescence in elderly individuals increases their risks of developing cancers or infectious diseases. Furthermore, many different kinds of vaccines against infectious diseases, such as the influenza vaccine, have been shown to be often ineffective in elderly patients with immunosenescence. Therefore, we are currently focused on drug/vaccine discovery research in immunosenescence, using cutting-edge immune cell analysis techniques in primate-model monkeys, which help to achieve very close approximations of human clinical samples and the immunosenescence phenomenon. Further, we aim to develop an immunological analysis system for direct clinical application in humans, search for biomarkers, and establish novel protective and curative therapies by comparing animal (primate-model monkey) and human clinical samples.

3. Overview of our research

# Work 1

Research aimed at understanding aging-associated immunosenescence We are currently involved in translational research on the immunosenescence phenomenon using cutting-edge immune cell analysis techniques in primate-model monkeys, with which we can achieve very close approximations of human clinical samples and of the immunosenescence phenomenon itself. Please visit our website for detail.

1. Elucidating the mechanisms of immunosenescence
2. Searching for biomarkers of immunosenescence using a primate model

# Work 2

Drug/Vaccine discovery research based on our understanding of aging-associated immunosenescence By comparing animal (primate-model monkey) and human clinical samples side-by-side, we aim to develop an immunological analysis system directly tied to clinical applications in humans, search for biomarkers, and establish novel protective and curative therapies. Please visit our website for detail.

◆ Infectious disease-related work

1. Development of immunotherapies for the radical cure of AIDS
2. Development of a universal influenza vaccine
3. Development of COVID-19 vaccine
4. Identification of surrogate markers for the prediction of HTLV-1-related diseases

◆ Cancer-related work

1. Development of immunotherapies for intractable cancers, including pancreatic cancer
2. Immunological research on the hepatitis B virus that aims to make a functional cure possible

Laboratory of Immunosenescence

Website	https://www.nibiohn.go.jp/immunosenescence/
E-mail	yamamotot2*nibiohn.go.jp (replace * by @)