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Connective Tissue Disease, Rheumatology, and Allergy Lab
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The lab investigates the pathology of autoimmune diseases such as connective tissue diseases and rheumatoid arthritis.
AboutAbout the lab
Holistic medicine and cutting-edge research that “look at the immune system”
The lab aims to elucidate the causes and pathology of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, IgG4-related disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
By combining analyses of patients' valuable blood and diseased tissue with validation in model mice, the lab can work toward identifying new disease-related molecules and therapeutic targets.
Ultimately, the lab is exploring the development of treatments aimed at curing autoimmune diseases.
Lab visits are accepted at any time, and the lab actively welcomes visits from students at other universities.
Key terms
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- A chronic inflammatory disease in which, through an autoimmune mechanism, inflammatory cells infiltrate the synovium of the joints, destroying bone and cartilage and deforming the joints
- Sjögren's syndrome
- An autoimmune disease in which lymphocytes infiltrate the salivary glands, lacrimal glands, and other tissues. It causes dryness symptoms such as dry eye and dry mouth
- Biologics
- Drugs that target immune cells, specific molecules, or cytokines. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis uses agents such as anti-TNFα antibodies
NewsLab news
Lecturer Hiromitsu Asashima received the JSCI-FOCIS Emerging Investigator Recognition Award 2026
Associate Professor Haruka Miki received the Excellence Prize of the Best Presentation Award at the 1st Airway Disease Frontier Research Meeting
Research using a mouse model of SLE was accepted by Clinical Experimental Immunology
Research on the mechanism by which regulatory T cells lose function in elderly-onset arthritis was published in Clinical Immunology
ResearchResearch themes
The lab is working on a variety of clinical studies aimed at generating new evidence originating from the University of Tsukuba and Ibaraki. It also conducts research to elucidate the pathology of each connective tissue disease and to develop new diagnostic markers and treatments.
*Illustrative imageClinical Research from Tsukuba and Ibaraki
The lab investigates the diagnosis of arthritis and the assessment of treatment response using a compact MRI dedicated to the hand and joint ultrasound, as well as pregnancies complicated by connective tissue disease and outcomes for the children. Respiratory lesions in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving biologics are also studied.
*Illustrative imageNationwide and Worldwide Clinical Research
The lab also participates in international and nationwide clinical and epidemiological studies. Examples include studies using a COVID-19 registry, research aimed at establishing diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for IgG4-related disease, and research on patients in the early stage after onset of systemic lupus erythematosus.
*Illustrative imagePathology and Diagnostic Markers of Rheumatoid Arthritis
The lab clarifies in detail the immune cells and inflammatory mediators involved in the onset and persistence of rheumatoid arthritis, aiming to develop new diagnostic markers and treatments. Centered on an arthritis mouse model in which GPI, a glycolytic enzyme, acts as the autoantigen, it also studies citrullinated proteins and elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis.
*Illustrative imageAdaptive Immunity in Sjögren's Syndrome
Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which lymphocytes infiltrate the salivary and lacrimal glands. The lab focuses on abnormalities of adaptive immunity, examines the roles of autoantibodies and of T cells that respond to autoantigens, and works on developing new therapeutic strategies that target these abnormalities.
MembersFaculty
The members of the lab consist of faculty, professors emeritus, clinical fellows and residents, doctoral and master's students, research students, hospital registered physicians and visiting researchers, domestic and international students, secretaries, and technical staff.As of 2026
- ProfessorIsao Matsumoto
- Associate Professor / Head of Medical OfficeHiroto Tsuboi
- Lecturer, Ward ChiefYuya Kondo
- Associate ProfessorHaruka Miki
- Lecturer, Outpatient Clinic ChiefHiromitsu Asashima
- LecturerAyako Ohyama
- Project LecturerFumika Honda
- Hospital LecturerTaihei Nishiyama
- Assistant ProfessorRyota Sato
- Hospital Assistant ProfessorToshiki Sugita
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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: “U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas C. Sullivan Jr., a laboratory technician assigned to the 319th Medical Support Squadron, places a medical sample into a test tube rack at the medical laboratory on Grand Forks 130522-F-JB669-061” Staff Sgt. Luis Loza Gutierrez / Public domain (cropped)
- Clinical Research from Tsukuba and Ibaraki: “MRI-Philips” Jan Ainali / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Nationwide and Worldwide Clinical Research: “Clinical Chemistry Analyzer , Клинички биохемиски анализатор 2” Делфина / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Pathology and Diagnostic Markers of Rheumatoid Arthritis: “Rheumatoid arthritis with carpal ankylosis 2017” Mikael Häggström / CC0 (cropped)
- Adaptive Immunity in Sjögren's Syndrome: “Histological section of salivary gland, with zoom” Otávio Astor Vaz Costa / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Genetic Epidemiology Lab): “Whitney Genetics Lab PCR Machine ( )” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Gastroenterology Lab): “Equipment - Endoscopy -- Smart-Servier” Laboratoires Servier / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Nephrology Lab): “Hemodialysis equipment” U3061292 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Clinical Laboratory Medicine Lab): “Clinical Chemistry Analyzer , Клинички биохемиски анализатор 3” Делфина / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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