Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology

Prof. Shintaro Hirata

【Research Keyword】
Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic sclerosis, Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, Vasculitis syndrome, Synovial fibroblasts, Articular cartilage, Oligonucleotide therapeutics, Nailfold video-capillaroscopy, COVID-19, Factor XIII(13)

【Recent highlights】
・Elucidation of the mechanism of articular cartilage damage in arthritis, and proposal of a therapeutic model using oligonucleotide therapeutics, such as mRNA drugs.
・Elucidation of abnormalities of nail fold capillaries and growth factors in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.
・Elucidation of the functions of various humoral factors on human peripheral mononuclear cells-derived osteoclasts.
・Elucidation of the relationship between host cell receptors and inflammatory cytokines in novel coronavirus infection, COVID-19.

Profiles of Faculty and Research Scholars

【Education】
Medical School
We will acquire basic knowledge on the pathology, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases, and will conduct training to acquire the basic examination procedures necessary for physicians.

Graduate school of medicine
We will acquire deeper knowledge on the pathology, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases, and will conduct training to acquire necessary examination techniques and research methods necessary for rheumatologist expert.

【Research】
We will elucidate the pathological mechanisms of rheumatic diseases, develop novel biomarkers, and establish new therapeutic targets.

  • Elucidation of the mechanisms of inflammation, synovial proliferation, and cartilage destruction in the synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis; We aim to develop novel therapeutic targets for arthritis by integration of histological research, molecular biology, and comprehensive gene expression analysis by next-generation sequencing.
  • Development of Oligonucleotide therapeutics, such as mRNA drugs, against joint diseases.
  • Analyses of rheumatic pathological conditions, such as systemic scleroderma and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, using nail contour capillary microscopy.
  • Elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of host cell receptors in COVID-19 and development of novel therapeutic targets.
  • Analyses of expression mechanisms, functions and relationships with inflammatory cytokines of blood coagulation factor XIII(13).

【Photo explanation】Our laboratory_1

【Photo explanation】Our laboratory_2


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