Inflammation Reserch





Principal Investigator (PI): Masafumi Takahashi, MD, PhD
Role of Inflammation and Cell Death in Disease
Our laboratory was newly established in April 2009 to understand the molecular pathogenesis and to develop novel effective therapies in various types of diseases such as cardiovascular, kidney, liver, lung, and metabolic diseases. To achieve this goal, we employ various kinds of experimental techniques in molecular and cellular biology, bioimaging technology, as well as animal models. We are currently focusing on inflammation and cell death in human disease. Specific research interests are as follows:
1. Inflammasome: a large multi-protein complex cell that regulates the release of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1beta and IL-18, and the inflammatory cell death pyroptosis, leading to microbial or sterile inflammation.
2. Pyroptosis: a particular form of regulated cell death induced by inflammasome-dependent cleavage of gasdermin D.
3. Ferroptosis: a newly identified form of iron-dependent regulated cell death that is characterized by lipid peroxidation.

For further scientific information, please see our publication list.
E-mail: nakadan@jichi.ac.jp