Our goal at the Immunosenescence Project is
to solve the mystery of immunosenescence, a process that affects all of us.
Our mission is to restore and protect the health of all individuals, from the young to the old.
We aim to discover new immune factors involved in infectious diseases and cancers, and then develop novel vaccines and/or treatments to fight against them. In particular, we focus on translational research based on the phenomenon of “aging-associated immunosenescence.” Because many reports have shown that elderly patients with advanced immunosenescence are at greater risk of developing cancers or infectious diseases and cannot be treated as effectively using immunotherapies or vaccines.
Learn MoreWe are currently involved in translational research on the immunosenescence phenomenon using cut-ting-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.
Learn MoreBy 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.
Learn MorePrinciples governing establishment versus collapse of HIV-1 cellular spread.
Hataye JM, Casazza JP, Best K, Liang JC, Immonen TT, Ambrozak DR, Darko S, Henry AR, Laboune F, Maldarelli F, Douek DC, Hengartner NW, Yamamoto T, Keele BF, Perelson AS, Koup RA.
Cell Host Microbe. 2019 Dec 11;26(6):748-763.e20. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.10.006. PubMed PMID: 31761718.
Exposure of an occluded hemagglutinin epitope drives selection of a class of cross-protective influenza antibodies.
Adachi Y, Tonouchi K, Nithichanon A, Kuraoka M, Watanabe A, Shinnakasu R, Asanuma H, Ainai A, Ohmi Y, Yamamoto T, Ishii KJ, Hasegawa H, Takeyama H, Lertmemongkolchai G, Kurosaki T, Ato M, Kelsoe G, Takahashi Y.
Nat Commun. 2019 Aug 28;10(1):3883. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-11821-6. PubMed PMID: 31462639.
A unique nanoparticulate TLR9 agonist enables a HA-split vaccine to confer FcRγ-mediated protection against heterologous lethal influenza virus infection.
Yamamoto T, Masuta Y, Momota M, Kanekiyo M, Kanuma T, Takahama S, Moriishi E, Yasutomi Y, Saito T, Graham BS, Takahashi Y, Ishii KJ.
Int Immunol. 2019 Feb 15;31(2):81-90. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxy069. (Selected Editor’s choice) PubMed PMID: 30535055.
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 in-fectious 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 cut-ting-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.
Our laboratory is currently looking for postdocs, graduate students, technical assistants, collaborators, and individuals for a variety of roles. Dr. Yamamoto, our project leader, is also a Guest Professor at the Osaka University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Through the graduate school collaboration system, we are able to accept graduate students into our laboratory (for more information, click here）
Project LeaderTakuya Yamamoto
We are always recruiting researchers and students who work together with us. If you are interested in, please contact directly.
7-6-8, Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki City, Osaka 567-0085, Japan/p>
(＋81)72-641-9811 (main phone number)