• Professor
  • Katsuaki HOSHINO, Ph.D.
• Assistant Professor
  • Toshiro NIKI, Ph.D.

• Analysis of the functional molecules which regulate production of type I interferons in plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
• Study of the mechanisms regulating the function of the dendritic cell subsets.

• 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.

• Transcription factor MafB-mediated inhibition of type I interferons in plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
  Saiga, H., et al. Int Immunol 34(3), 159-172 (2022).
• The mechanism of action of Spi-B in the transcriptional activation of the interferon-alpha4 gene.
  Miyazaki, R., et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 525(2), 477-482 (2020).
• Cholera toxin B induces interleukine-1beta production from resident peritoneal macrophages through pyrin as well as NLRP3 inflammasome.
  Orimo, T. et al. Int Immunol 31(10), 657-668 (2019).

• Galectin-9 Triggers Neutrophil-Mediated Anticancer Immunity.
  Avtenyuk　NU, et al. Biomedicines. 10, 66 (2021).
• Plasma Levels of a Cleaved Form of Galectin-9 Are the Most Sensitive Biomarkers of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Tuberculosis Coinfection.
  Padilla ST, et al. Biomolecules. 10, 1495 (2020)
• Intracellular Galectin-9 Controls Dendritic Cell Function by Maintaining Plasma Membrane Rigidity.
  Querol Cano L, et al. iScience. 22, 240-255 (2019).

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