1. We investgate protein with the possibility to become the prognostic index of the cancer in the animal. We especially focus on CYR61, and investigate the mechanism of the metastasis and relations with CYR61 and tumor invasion, and usability as prognositicindex of CYR61.
2. We will study methods to maintain the quality of life of postoperative animals, by dveloping new surgical methods and assisting the functions with artificail materials.
3. We will research the effect on living organism, in addition to the antitumor effect of immunotherapy.

Japanese people sleep less than most developed countries, and one out of every four to five adults has some kind of sleep problem. Sleep deprivation is known to increase the risk of developing depression, anxiety disorders, obesity, and diabetes. My research aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects of sleep deprivation on the body and mind. In addition, by studying the effects of physical, chemical, psychological, and social stress on sleep homeostasis using mouse models, I aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced sleep disorders and psychiatric disorders and to contribute to the development of preventive and therapeutic methods.

We aim to reveal the mechanism of pathogenicity on highly pathogenic viral zoonoses, using our Biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory, as well as BSL4 facility in the foreign country (as a coolaborative research with Australian Animal Health laboratory, CSIRO).

So far, through a collaborative research with AAHL, we had established the reverse genetics system for nipah virus or hendra virus. By introducing mutations into the viral genome with the system, we are trying to rescue or make mutant virus and characterize the mutant virus. This approach would find or characterize nature of the original virus. Moreover, we would like to develope effective and safe vaccines for the viruses using recombinant mutant viruses.

There are numerous diseases that are difficult to diagnose and refractory to conventional treatments. I have special interests in acute kidney injury, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, and refractory immune-mediated diseases. Currently, I am conducting researches on blood purification therapy to establish the means of treatment of these diseases.

Two major research themes have been addressed. The first is the identification of novel pathogens and the development of disease control methods for fish and shellfish. In aquaculture farms, mortality caused by unidentified diseases is often observed. The causative factors are quite complex including deterioration of the environment, nutritional disorders, and outbreak of infectious diseases. With recent advances in aquaculture technology, the targeted species for aquaculture have expanded, and new infectious diseases have been reported one after another. Therefore, we are exploring the pathogens using a comprehensive genetics approach to develop the diagnosis methods and control the diseases. Second, we are also studying the unique immune system in shrimp. As invertebrates, shrimp have no adaptive immune system like vertebrates. However, they show some resistance to re-infection of particular pathogen, like a phenomenon known as “immunological memory”. We hope to elucidate the mechanism of this phenomenon and propose new disease control measures to improve productivity.

There are many types of chemical compounds in our environment, and some of them have negative effects on our bodies. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for various diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertention, COPD, and cancer. However, there are no clear information which chemical compounds in the cigarette smoke have negative effects on our bodies and cause these diseases. I have previously identified unsaturated carbonyl compounds as stable cytotoxic factors in the gas phase of cigarette smoke. The unsaturated carbonyl compounds are also contained in the smoke from combustion of organic materials such as woods, oil, coal. Thus, the unsaturated carbonyl compounds are regarded as environmental pollutants. The purpose of my study is elucidation of the molecular mechanisms for cytotoxicity of environmental pollutants including unsaturated carbonyl compounds.

Infectious livestock diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza recognized as acute infection that cause tremendous damage to the livestock industry. Acute infections develop relatively early and have significant clinical symptoms, making outbreaks easily recognizable. Conversely, chronic infections that decrease livestock productivity, such as enzootic bovine leukosis (BLV) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), have become problematic in recent years. Generally, eradication of chronic infections is extremely difficult and requires considerable time and effort.
I want to study the Effect of these diseases on the livestock industry using field cases, and want to research the viable approach of preventing the spread of BLV and BVD. I also study environmentally friendly insect pest-control using natural materials, such as commercially available diatomite product.

Vision is indispensable sense “veterinary ophthalmology”, as visual information obtained by seeing the objects is important for us.
However, the “visual acuity” examination using the Landolt’s ring like a human (mark like “C” in the alphabet) is impossible in dogs and cats and other animals. So how do you determine the animal’s visual acuity?
One method is to measure brain waves called “visual evoked potentials (VEP)” and evaluate whether the brain recognized the targets.
We are developing “Visual Evaluation Methods of Animals” using “electrophysiological exams of vision”, including VEP measurement.
We suppose that highly accurate visual assessment of animals will allow us to better diagnose and treat ophthalmic disorders in areas essential to constitute the vision of the cornea, lens, retina, etc. in the eye.

In addition, our laboratory uses ophthalmologic examination equipment such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), which has developed remarkably in recent years, in clinical veterinary ophthalmology, and is conducting research on the pathophysiological analysis and treatments of ophthalmologic diseases.

We have identified the bovine major histocompatibility gene complex (BoLA) alleles resistant and susceptible for BLV in five tethered house farms in the Kanto region of Japan, and we have conducted the BLV control strategy using resistant and susceptible cattle. In the future, I would like to conduct the strategy utilizing resistant and susceptible cattle in more tethered farms and futhermore in free-ban and free-stall farms.
In the project for control of tuberculosis and glanders, we focused on tuberculosis and glanders, zoonotic bacterial infections prevalent in Mongolia, and the veterinary and medical researchers in Japan and Mongolia are collaborating on this project to conduct epidemiological surveys and develop rapid diagnostic methods for these both diseases.
In addition, I will conduct a study for genetic diversity of Asian native horses.

More than 200 herpesviruses have been discovered and most of them have very limited host range. Therefore, there are many herpesviruses which have not established cell culture system to replicate or system to evaluate the pathogenicity of the virus using experimental animals. Without these systems it is impossible to analyze the precise mechanism of viral replication and pathogenicity. Thus, I aim to unveil the determination mechanism of host specificity of herpesvirus by analyzing the interactions of virus and host factors by using recombinant viruses. In addition, I also study epidemiology of herpesviruses.

As SFTS virus seems to be spread in Ehime, our lab focuses on SFTS virus. I compare the pathogenicity of SFTS virus and its related virus, Heartland virus and analyze which factor causes the difference.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule is a glycoprotein expressed on cell surface. MHC molecule plays important role for inducing acquired immunity by presenting self or non-self peptides to T cells. it is known that MHC genes encoding MHC molecules are highly polymorphic genes. In human, various report shows these polymorphisms are related with the risk for graft rejection, tumor and development of autoimmune diseases. However, the correlation between MHC polymorphisms and various diseases in small animals such as dog and cat were unclear so far.
I study about the polymorphisms and functions of MHC in animals and relation of MHC with various diseases. Through these studies, I want to incarnate the regenerated medicine with stem cell transplantation in veterinary medicine and the elucidation for mechanisms of development of autoimmune diseases.

I analyze influences of biogeographic phenomena such as evolution and migration of host animals on parasite distribution or population using molecular phylogenetic analyses. I’m also conducting research on the mechanisms of migration and pathology of helminths in their host.

In dogs and cats, morbidity of heart disease is very high. My research are investigation of the pathology, examination of new therapy and the methods of early diagnosis.

In Imaging diagnosis of veterinary, The development of diagnostic imaging apparatuses is remarkable. Cntast CT and contast ultrasound were applied to the differential diagnosis of lhepatic and splenic tumors. In MRI, various special methods are used for the application of diagnosis tiool of various disease. I study the new image diagostic tool and determining the most suitable imaging method of various diseases.

Spinal cord injury is an intractable disease that is often encountered in clinical veterinary medicine. A number of treatments including cytokine administration and cell transplantation have been reported, but thus far, effective treatment has not yet been establishd. I am studing the mechanisms of neural regeneration by cytokine administration and neural conversion using small molecule to develop novel thrapy for canine spinal cord injury.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease based on chronic inflammation in synovium. Since RA is a relatively common disease in human, there are many studies on its pathogenesis, and recently we can control RA with biological drugs or small molecular compounds. Dogs may develop a disease similar to that of human, also known as canine rheumatoid arthritis (cRA). However, since there are few studies on its pathophysiology, most dogs with cRA take only symptomatic treatment, and joint structures are irrevocably destroyed. I am studying to elucidate the inducer of inflammation in cRA, identification of early diagnostic marker, and development of new therapeutic drug.
I am also studying the Wnt5a antagonist Sfrp5. Sfrp5 is an adipokine that regulates the metabolism of adipocytes. We already found that Sfrp5 regulates not only adipocytes but also osteoblasts and osteoclasts. In other words, fat tissue may control bone. I am studying the mechanisms how Sfrp5 regulates bone.

Hypercoagulability disorders, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and thrombosis, are common and significantly associated with poor prognosis in dogs with malignant tumors. However, the pathogenesis of DIC is not fully elucidated, as well as available tools for the diagnosis and treatment methods for procoagulant states in the dogs are limited. Currently, I am conducting experiments with the aim of the research to elucidate the pathogenesis of DIC and to develop a novel strategy for diagnosis and treatment of DIC in the dogs.
Also, I am conducting exploration of novel drugs to treat malignancy. Even though a lot of cancer research have been conducted, malignancy is the leading cause of death in humans and dogs. Therefore, malignant tumor is one of the most important desease to be overcomed. Development of the novel strategies for treating malignant tumors is a substantial contribution not only in veterinary medicine but also in human medicine.

Smooth muscle composes a muscular layer in various organs, such as blood vessels, gastrointestinal tracts, bladder, uterus, etc. in the vertablate body. It plays important roles in many life stages from birth to death. To achieve different roles in different locations, each smooth muscle has unique regulatory mechanisms of contraction and relaxation. For example, renal arteriolar smooth muscle, which regulates blood flow in the kidney, contracts in response to a vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II by activating molecular motor in the cells. On the other hand, another vasoconstrictor, endothelin 1, induces abnormal contraction in the arteriole by excessively activating the motor. I hve been studying the molecular mechanisms of smooth muscle contractions, especilly in the renal arterioles.

To explore my interest using a molecular biology approach, we employ novel transgenic animal models and ex vivo or in vitro systems such as isolated vessel and cell culture.
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality. In particular, the prevalence of hypertension is high and increasing (American Heart Association). To understand the mechanism of outbreak and molecular alterations in hypertension, we examine how genes regulate organ function related to regulating blood pressure including vessel, heart, kidney and brain using transgenic model.
Gut microbiome research is becoming the key to better understanding physiology and pathology. Clinical evidence is accumulating for a role of the microbiome in contributing to aging and inflammtory disorder. We try to find how microbiome affects body.

Reproductive disorders in cows are major health and financial problems on farm. Endometritis and ovarian dysfunction such as cystic ovarian disease, ovarian quiescence, and ovulation failure often occur concurrently in cows. We have demonstrated that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) produced by Gram-negative bacteria suppress the function of granulosa cells in follicles, leading to ovarian dysfunction in cows.
It is our firm belief that further investigation for this mechanism are needed to enhance reproductive performance and support veterinarians on farm.