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Molecular Metabolic Medicine Lab
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The lab aims to overcome lifestyle-related diseases by studying the mechanisms of chronic inflammation.
AboutAbout the lab
Pursuing ambitious basic medical research that leads to clinical applications, with the goal of overcoming lifestyle-related diseases.
The Molecular Metabolic Medicine Lab studies the mechanisms of chronic inflammation involved in lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
Focusing on immunometabolism, the interface between nutrition/metabolism and inflammation/immunity, the lab positions itself as a bridge between basic and clinical research and aims to conduct research that leads to clinical applications.
The lab interacts with researchers from diverse backgrounds both inside and outside the lab, and also engages in medical-engineering collaboration with researchers from other fields.
The lab also serves as a cooperating department (Immunometabolism) of the Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University.
Key terms
- Chronic inflammation
- Inflammation that persists for a long time. It is attracting attention as an underlying pathology shared by many chronic diseases.
- Immunometabolism
- A field of study that focuses on the inseparable relationship between nutrition/metabolism and inflammation/immunity.
- Macrophage
- A type of cell responsible for immunity. It clears away dead cells (clearance).
- Mincle
- A membrane protein on the cell membrane of macrophages. It works as a "dead cell sensor" that detects dead cells.
ResearchResearch themes
Chronic inflammation is attracting attention as an underlying pathology shared by many chronic diseases, including lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Focusing on three keywords, dead cells, intracellular metabolism, and medical-engineering collaboration, the lab aims to elucidate the pathology of chronic inflammation and apply it to medicine.
*Illustrative imageChronic inflammation triggered by dead cells
The lab investigates how changes in nutrition and metabolism cause cell death and chronic inflammation. It has shown that Mincle, a sensor of dead cells, contributes to the progression of acute kidney injury to a chronic state, and that immune cells and fibroblasts interact in the adipose tissue of obesity.
*Illustrative imageIntracellular metabolism and chronic inflammation
From the perspective of immunometabolism, the idea that immunity and metabolism are two sides of the same coin, the lab investigates the mechanisms of chronic inflammation. It has shown that iron-laden macrophages promote liver fibrosis, and that intake of EPA, a component of fish oil, improves the pathology in a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus.
*Illustrative imageNew therapies through medical-engineering collaboration
Recognizing the limits of what medical researchers can do alone, the lab pursues medical-engineering collaboration. Using a supramolecular polyrotaxane to remove cholesterol from macrophages, it suppressed liver fibrosis in mice with steatohepatitis, and it also demonstrated in mice the function of an artificial pancreas device that releases insulin in response to blood glucose levels.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Molecular Metabolic Medicine Lab consist of faculty members, JSPS Research Fellows (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science), a lab manager, technical assistants, secretaries, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakayoshi Sugami
- LecturerMiyako Tanaka
- LecturerAyaka Ito Padilla
- Project LecturerTomoki Yagai
- Project Assistant ProfessorIbuki Shirakawa
- Project Assistant ProfessorXunmei Yuan
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: “Pipette de laboratoire sur fond blanc au Bénin 02” Adoscam / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Chronic inflammation triggered by dead cells: “Sterile 24-Well Cell Culture Plate Used in Laboratory Research” Gannu03 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Intracellular metabolism and chronic inflammation: “Biochemistry laboratory MPI-CBG-panorama” Masur / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- New therapies through medical-engineering collaboration: “Squaraine rotaxane” Eaume75 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Pathological Neuroscience Lab): “Shaking incubator for culture tubes” real name: Matylda Sęk pl.wiki: Cygaretka commons: Cygaretka / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Systems Neuropharmacology Lab): “Axio Imager with Colibri.2 LED Lightsource for Fluorescence Illumination ( )” ZEISS Microscopy from Germany / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Neural Systems Lab): “Close-up of a lab technitian adjusting a microscope glass slide” Shixart1985 / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Disease Regulation Lab): “Collagen (triple helix protein with schematic ribbons)” Eric Hahn / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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