• Professor
  • Katsuaki HOSHINO, Ph.D.
• Associate Professor
  • Daisuke ORI,  DVM, Ph.D.
• Assistant Professor
  • Toshiro NIKI, Ph.D.

Our laboratory conducts research to elucidate the differentiation and activation mechanisms of dendritic cells, which function as antigen-presenting cells in the innate immune system, and also focuses on inflammatory responses initiated by innate immune cells. We employ various research methods, including biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, and disease model animal development, to understand the molecular functions underlying biological phenomena. The findings from this basic research are being applied to develop therapeutic strategies for autoimmune diseases, with a focus on clinical applications.

An endogenous lectin galectin-9 has been known to exert various immunomodulatory functions, which now comes to attract broader attention in medical field as one of the important player of immune-checkpoint. Our objective is to elucidate the molecular mechanism of galectin-9 in ameliorating skewed immune balance, and to explore potential therapeutic utility of the lectin for the treatment of refractory diseases including cancer and autoimmunity.

• Structural analysis of Spi-B DNA-binding Ets domain recognizing 5'-AGAA-3' and 5'-GGAA-3' sequences.
  Nonaka, Y., et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 749, 151354 (2025)
• The Chitosan Nanoparticle-based Adjuvant CH-100 Orchestrates Multifaceted Innate Immune Activation via STING-Dependent and -Independent Pathways.
  Nagai, E., et al. Int Immunol dxaf054 (2025)
• Immunomodulatory effects of D-allose on cytokine production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
  Takao, K., et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 627, 130-136 (2022)

• Galectin-9 treatment is cytotoxic for B cell lymphoma by disrupting autophagy.
  Koll L., et al. Front Pharmacol (2025) 16, 1601235
• Plasma High-Mobility Group Box-1 and Galectin-9 in Patients with Trauma and Their Prognostic Potentials.
  Niki, T., et al. Tohoku J Exp Med (2024) 10.1620/tjem.2024.J130
• Plasma galectins and metabolites in advanced head and neck carcinomas: evidence of distinct immune characteristics linked to hypopharyngeal tumors
  BTT Tran, et al. OncoImmunology (2023) 150472

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