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Immunology Lab
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The immunology lab explores the mechanisms of immune memory and allergy.
AboutAbout the lab
Toward overcoming autoimmune diseases and allergies
The Immunology Lab studies how immune cells work to protect the body and why abnormalities in them lead to disease.
Built on three pillars—immune memory, group 2 innate lymphoid cells involved in allergy, and T cell homeostasis—the lab investigates these topics using genetically modified mice and other tools.
The lab originated from the Department of Bacteriology, which was established in 1915 (Taisho 4) at the same time as the Medical College of Tohoku Imperial University.
The graduate student recruitment section on the lab's top page says that its members come from diverse backgrounds, including graduates of science and engineering faculties and students who entered graduate school as working professionals.
Key terms
- Immune memory
- The mechanism by which the immune system remembers information about a pathogen it has encountered once and responds when it encounters it again. It is also involved in the recurrence of allergies
- Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2)
- Lymphocytes that lack antigen receptors and release large amounts of cytokines early in infection or inflammation. They are involved in allergy
- Autoimmune disease
- A disease caused by the immune system attacking the body's own components. Examples include rheumatoid arthritis
NewsLab news
A research paper on MP cells was published in Cell Rep
An Assistant Professor received the Silver Prize of the School of Medicine Scholarship Award for FY2026 (Reiwa 8)
A research paper on supersulfides was published in Frontiers Immunol.
A research paper on MP cells was published in Cancer Immunology Research
An Associate Professor received the Gold Prize of the School of Medicine Scholarship Award for FY2024 (Reiwa 6)
ResearchResearch themes
The immune system is a mechanism in which a network of immune cells, centered on lymphocytes, distinguishes self from non-self and remembers that information. The lab investigates how immunity is regulated using genetically modified mice and other approaches, aiming to elucidate the causes of allergies, autoimmune diseases, and other conditions and to lead to the development of treatments.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms of immune memory
The lab studies the mechanism of “immune memory,” which makes it harder to catch the same disease twice. Having discovered that OX40 signaling is important for the generation and maintenance of memory T cells, the lab focuses on OX40 and aims to elucidate the mechanism.
*Illustrative imageAllergy and group 2 innate lymphoid cells
Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are immune cells involved in the onset of allergic diseases. Mouse studies showed that signaling of the costimulatory molecule GITR strengthens ILC2 activation and worsens lung inflammation, and the lab is now also analyzing samples from human patients.
*Illustrative imageT cell homeostasis
The lab focuses on the behavior of T cells in the steady state, without stimulation by foreign antigens. It discovered that some T cells recognize self, acquire a memory phenotype, and are constantly in a semi-activated state, and it is now exploring the physiological and pathological significance of this.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Immunology Lab consist of faculty, doctoral and master's students, undergraduate students doing graduation research, and secretaries.As of 2026
- ProfessorNaoto Ishii
- Associate ProfessorTakeshi Kawabe
- Assistant ProfessorShunichi Tayama
- Assistant ProfessorAtsuko Asao
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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: “Cell Culture in a tiny Petri dish (cropped)” kaibara87 / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Mechanisms of immune memory: “A picture for the developmental differentiation model for memory T cell lineage” Immcarle133 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Allergy and group 2 innate lymphoid cells: “ILCs in allergic rhinitis 7 PNG” Mk4716 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- T cell homeostasis: “SEM Lymphocyte” Unknown photographer/artist (False color modifications made by myself--DO11.10) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Biodefense Lab (Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer)): “Flow cytometry scheme” Kwz at Polish Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Medical Biochemistry Lab): “Biochemistry laboratory MPI-CBG-panorama” Masur / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Oxygen Medicine Lab (Affiliated Center for Innovative Applied Medicine)): “In the Biochemistry Laboratory” Tristan Ferne from UK / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Oncology Lab (Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer)): “Olympus-BX61-fluorescence microscope” Masur / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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