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Immunoparasitology Lab
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A lab that explores the immune mechanisms against pathogenic protozoan parasites and cancer.
AboutAbout the lab
Unraveling the battle between the host and pathogenic protozoa and cancer
The Immunoparasitology lab studies the mechanisms of the battle between pathogenic protozoan parasites or cancer and the immune system that protects the body.
The lab places importance on investigating how infection is established and how immunity works, from the perspectives of both the parasite and the host.
Based on the idea that immunity against protozoan parasites and immunity against cancer are strikingly similar, the lab works on both infection immunity and cancer immunity.
On the lab's website, it is introduced as the "Yamamoto Lab" of the Division of Infection Pathogenesis at the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases.
Key terms
- Toxoplasma
- A parasitic protozoan that multiplies only inside host cells. It belongs to the same group of sporozoan parasites (Apicomplexa) as malaria parasites
- CRISPR screening
- A method that combines genome editing with large-scale statistical analysis to comprehensively identify important genes
- VeDTR mice
- Mice in which cells characterized by two genes are labeled with a fluorescent protein and can be depleted by administering diphtheria toxin
NewsLab news
An English-language review article on Th1-Treg was published in International Immunology
Prof. Yamamoto received the Otahara Toyoichi Award from the Kaketsuken Foundation
A paper on Th1-Treg was published in Frontiers in Immunology
A paper on the pathogenicity of protozoan parasites was published in mSphere
A paper on how Toxoplasma exits host cells was published in Nature Communications
ResearchResearch themes
The Yamamoto Lab studies immunity against pathogenic protozoan parasites and cancer, and the mechanisms by which this immunity breaks down. Because infection immunity and cancer immunity are seen as similar, the lab also works on cancer immunity.
*Illustrative imageThe battle between protozoan parasites and host immunity
Using the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma as a model, the lab investigates, from both the parasite side and the host side, the molecules that the parasite releases into host cells and the workings of host immunity. The lab has also developed a CRISPR screening method that comprehensively searches for genes involved in pathogenicity inside the mouse body.
*Illustrative imageCancer immunity and its breakdown
Focusing on the similar structures of infection immunity and cancer immunity, the lab studies immunity against cancer and its breakdown. It has developed VeDTR mice, in which only immune cell populations defined by two genes can be labeled and depleted, and uses them to analyze the role of these cells in cancer immunity.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Immunoparasitology lab consist of faculty, doctoral students, technical assistants, and administrative assistants.As of 2025
- ProfessorMasahiro Yamamoto
- Associate ProfessorMiwa Sasai
- Assistant ProfessorYuta Tachibana
- Project Assistant ProfessorAyumi Kuratani
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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: “Toxoplasma parasites (tachyzoites) in a fibroblast host cell” Morne Arin (Ksena Longrin, previously known as Kseniia Bondarenko) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- The battle between protozoan parasites and host immunity: “Toxoplasma infection life cycle” Sina Adl / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Cancer immunity and its breakdown: “T cells in a squamous cell carcinoma” NIH Image Gallery / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (マラリア免疫学
（Malaria Immunology） ): “Malaria falciparum ring forms” Dr Graham Beards / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (組織感染免疫学
（Tissue Immunology of Infection） ): “Infectiology - Herpes virus 1 -- Smart-Servier” Laboratoires Servier / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped) - Related lab (幹細胞・免疫発生
（Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Immunology） ): “Micrograph of a red blood cell with basophilic stippling” Mikael Häggström, M.D. Author info - Reusing images- Conflicts of interest: None Mikael Häggström, M.D.Consent note: Consent from the patient or patient's relatives is regarded as redundant, because of absence of identifiable features (List of HIPAA identifiers) in the media and case information (See also HIPAA case reports guidance). / CC0 (cropped) - Related lab (実験免疫学
（Experimental Immunology） ): “HIV H9 T-cell II” National Institutes of Health (NIH) / Public domain (cropped)
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