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Innate Immunity Lab
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A lab that uncovers how innate immunity works in the gut, starting from antimicrobial peptides.
AboutAbout the lab
From gut innate immunity to health and disease
The Innate Immunity Lab studies how innate immunity works in the mucosa of the gut.
Paneth cells in the small intestine, when stimulated by infection, release antimicrobial peptides that kill microbes.
The lab investigates how these antimicrobial peptides work and how they maintain the relationship with microbes in the gut.
It aims to clarify the causes and pathology of infectious diseases and intractable immune diseases from the perspective of innate immunity.
Key terms
- Innate immunity
- The body's defense system that is present from birth and acts immediately when microbes enter
- Antimicrobial peptide
- A short chain of amino acids that kills microbes. Many multicellular organisms have them
- Paneth cell
- A cell in the epithelium of the small intestine that secretes antimicrobial peptides when stimulated by infection
NewsLab news
An undergraduate student received a Presentation Award at the progress report meeting for graduation research in Functional Polymer Science
A master's student received an Outstanding Poster Award at the Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan
A master's student received an Outstanding Presentation Award at the master's thesis presentation of the Transdisciplinary Life Science Course
An undergraduate student received an Outstanding Presentation Award at the progress report meeting for graduation research in Functional Polymer Science
ResearchResearch themes
Intestinal mucosal immunity has two roles: eliminating microbes and coexisting with gut bacteria. The lab aims to uncover how innate immunity works in this mucosal immunity, from the perspective of antimicrobial peptides and the Paneth cells that produce them.
*Illustrative imageUnderstanding the mucosal immune system
From the molecular and cellular levels to the whole organism, the lab investigates the mechanisms that eliminate microbes and those that allow coexistence with gut bacteria. It aims to understand intestinal mucosal immunity through the interaction between host and microbes.
*Illustrative imageFrom antimicrobial peptides to overcoming disease
The lab has shown that antimicrobial peptides called α-defensins protect the body from infection. It is clarifying how they work in relation to their structure, and investigating the causes and pathology of diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
*Illustrative imageFood, medicine, and the gut environment
In the digestive tract, absorbing nutrients and preventing microbial invasion take place at the same time. Using its original cell isolation and culture techniques to analyze gut function, the lab aims to lead to the development of new functional foods and medicines.
*Illustrative imageRegeneration and differentiation of the intestinal epithelium
The lab studies how intestinal epithelial cells regenerate and differentiate, as well as tissue stem cells. It is also advancing research and development on treating fibrosis using stellate cells, and on new regenerative and preventive medicine.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Innate Immunity Lab consist of faculty members, PhD, master's, and undergraduate students, visiting researchers, a secretary, and technical assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorKiminori Nakamura
- Assistant ProfessorYuki Yokoi
- Project Assistant ProfessorShuya Ohira
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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: “SalmonellaNIAID” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Understanding the mucosal immune system: “Cross-section histology of small intestinal villi of the terminal ileum” Mikael Häggström, M.D. / CC0 (cropped)
- From antimicrobial peptides to overcoming disease: “1dfn” Deposition authors: Hill, C.P., Yee, J., Selsted, M.E., Eisenberg, D.; visualization author: User:Astrojan / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Food, medicine, and the gut environment: “Intestinal organoid” Meritxell Huch / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Regeneration and differentiation of the intestinal epithelium: “Organoid (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Plant Immunity Lab): “Downy Mildew on 'Valiant' cultivar (Vitis vinifera x Vitis labrusca x Vitis riparia)” David S. Jones, Patricia McManus / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Cell and Molecular Functional Science Lab): “Microtubule binding domain fused with GFP-tag reveals microtubule network of HeLa cell line” DrBib / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Soft Matter Structural Physics Lab): “Hidrogela egoera solidoan” Lialore / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Soft & Wet Matter Lab): “More windows” Jin from Melbourne, Australia / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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