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Arase Lab
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The lab investigates the mechanisms of autoimmune disease through the relationship between pathogens and the immune system.
AboutAbout the lab
Uncovering the causes of disease to open up a new field
The Immunochemistry Lab studies why the immune system, which evolved to protect the body from infection, can malfunction and cause abnormalities such as autoimmune diseases.
The lab focuses on molecules that regulate the function of immune cells and examines how these molecules interact with the body's own molecules and with pathogens.
It uses approaches such as genetically modified mice, single-cell analysis, and RNA-seq.
The lab aims to uncover the causes behind questions such as why some people develop autoimmune diseases or cancer, and why some people become severely ill from infections.
Key terms
- Neo-self
- A self molecule that has acquired different immunological antigenicity because its antigen presentation pathway has changed.
- Paired receptor
- Immune cell receptors that come as a pair of an activating receptor and an inhibitory receptor, with opposing functions.
- MHC class II molecule
- A molecule that presents antigens such as peptide fragments on the cell surface so that CD4 T cells can recognize them.
NewsLab news
Prof. Arase received the 2026 Takeda Medical Prize
Assistant Professor Mori received the 21st Japanese Society for Immunology Research Encouragement Award
Prof. Arase received the Mochida Memorial Prize
Assistant Professor Mori received the Japan Medical Association Medical Research Encouragement Award
A researcher's paper on the high infectivity of the Omicron variant was published in mBio
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to clarify why the immune system, which evolved to protect the body from infection, can malfunction and cause abnormalities such as autoimmune diseases. It focuses on molecules that control the function of immune cells and examines their interactions with the body's own molecules and with pathogens, using approaches such as genetically modified mice and single-cell analysis.
*Illustrative imageOnset of Autoimmune Disease Caused by Neo-self
When expression of the invariant chain decreases, MHC class II molecules present self-antigens that differ from the usual ones (neo-self), and CD4 T cells recognize them as foreign. Proliferation of T cells that react to neo-self has also been confirmed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
*Illustrative imagePaired Receptors and Their Relationship with Pathogens
The lab investigates the idea that paired receptors, which consist of an activating receptor and an inhibitory receptor, evolved in close relation with pathogens such as viruses. It has shown that one of the receptors on natural killer cells plays an important role in the immune response to cytomegalovirus infection.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Immunochemistry Lab consist of faculty, project researchers, doctoral students, technical staff, and secretaries.As of 2026
- ProfessorHisashi Arase
- Associate ProfessorHui Jin
- Assistant ProfessorShunsuke Mori
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Cytotoxic T cell-ja” Template drawing and caption text from "The Immune System", any modifcations made by myself, are released into the public domain.; tossh_eng for ja label. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Onset of Autoimmune Disease Caused by Neo-self: “Autoimmune disease” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences / Public domain (cropped)
- Paired Receptors and Their Relationship with Pathogens: “Zika EM CDC 20541” CDC/ Cynthia Goldsmith / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (分子免疫制御分野 山﨑研究室): “Macrophage (NIH BioArt 311)” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (自然免疫学分野 審良研究室): “Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs)” Varun Punnam / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (代謝免疫学グループ): “Macrophage (NIH BioArt 312)” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (糖鎖免疫学グループ): “CSIRO ScienceImage 354 Influenza Protein Attaching to Cell Membrane” Health Sciences and Nutrition, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
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