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.

I am studying the effects of radiation therapy in veterinary medicine. We are also investigating the possibility of using sensors to detect animal behavior and applying this to clinical practice.

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 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.

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.

　About 1/2 of Japanese people develop cancer, and about 1/3 of them are said to die from cancer, and overcoming cancer is a human task. Especially, colon cancer is increasing in Japan. In order to improve the prognosis of colorectal cancer, it is necessary to clarify the detailed mechanism of onset and malignancy of colorectal cancer and to identify new therapeutic targets. I am focusing on cancer stem cells as a target for that purpose. We aim to clarify the role of protein phosphatases in the control mechanism of cancer stem cells and to develop novel therapeutic strategies for colon cancer.

Veterinary pathology is the study of the causes of animal diseases and the study of their mechanisms. The results revealed by veterinary pathology are returned to clinical practice to help diagnose and treat animal diseases. Although our research targets all kinds of animals other than humans, we also contribute to the human medicine through basic research using laboratory animals.
I have experience in pathological diagnosis in a variety of animals, including companion animals, industrial animals, laboratory animals, wild animals, exotic animals, zoo and aquarium animals, fish, and invertebrates. I aim to identify issues from spontaneous diseases seen in various animals and to conduct research that can be fed back to clinical practice. At the same time, I will develop basic research using experimental pathological methods.

Typical gallbladder diseases in dogs include biliary sludge, gallbladder mucocele, and cholelithiasis, but the pathophysiology remains unclear. I am investigating safer treatment methods by clarifying the detailed pathophysiology of canine gallbladder disease.
In addition, the progress of diagnostic imaging technology in veterinary medicine is remarkable, and I am also working on the application of these data to surgical anatomy (vascular anatomy, etc.), and using these, considering a more safer surgical methods.

Veterinary pathology is the study and elucidation of the causes of animal disease and the study of their mechanisms. There are varies of animal diseases that are recognized dependinng on the animal species, the porpose of keeping animals and anatomical and physiological charaters of animal specises.
The researchs currently focusing on:
1) Pathological study of cardiac dilation in meerkat aims to elucidate the cause of cardiac dilation with suspecting a relationship with nutrients deficiency such as vitamin E and selenium.
2) Patholocical study of dermal fungus disease in Shiro-hebi (albino of Japanese rat snake) aims to elucidate the cause of the disease.

There are many disease for which the mechanism has not been elucidated yet and there are not cure. In paticular, the treatment of heart diseases and kidney diseases which are common at elderly animals, are often “care”, not “cure”. I am currently conducting researches on the mechanism of these deseases (e.g. moleculer, signaling, genetic etc…) for new “cure” treatment methods.
Furthermore, I concentrate my efforts on developing method of veterinary education and postgraduate education.

Chronic exposure to psychological stress leads to increased levels of hormones and cytokines, including glucocorticoids, in the blood or brain tissue. These substances may be involved in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders such as depression. To study the chronic effects of glucocorticoids on the nervous system, we are creating animal models of depression to identify useful targets for the treatment of depression. Steroid hormones are also known to protect nerve cells (neuroprotection) and I am investigating how this action is altered in the pathogenesis of depression and whether it can be used to develop treatments.

Regenerative medicine is attracting as much attention in the veterinary medicine field as in the human medicine field. Research in the veterinary medicine is also expected to be returned to the human medicine. Severe spinal cord injuries in small animal clinical practice often result in animals that cannot walk or stand on their own even after treatment, and there is a need to develop new treatment for spinal cord injuries. In this laboratory, we are conducting research on the development of spinal cord regeneration therapies using stem cells that can be isolated from living tissue and various cytokines. We are also researching the effectiveness and efficacy of rehabilitation as well as the development of new treatment methods by further elucidating the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury and studying gait analysis of spinal cord injured animals.

In Japan, average lifespan has grown significantly, but healthy lifespan has not. This indicates a substantial population of elderly individuals requiring long-term care. Musculoskeletal disorders (e.g. osteoporosis and sarcopenia) are prominent causes of needing care. In these conditions, decreased mobility leads to an increased risk of falls and fractures. Prolonged immobility during treatment exacerbates the decline in mobility. Extended periods of immobility often result in a high incidence of bedridden, which can trigger the onset of dementia. Therefore, addressing musculoskeletal disorders is crucial not only for reducing daily burdens but also for preventing the cascade progression to falls, fractures, bedridden status, and dementia.
While exercise is effective in maintaining musculoskeletal health, there are concerns about traumatic injury by engaging in training, potentially leading to further decline in mobility. Drug therapy holds promise as a treatment option, and tremendous efforts have been made for developing novel drugs; however, the creation of effective therapeutic drugs has yet to be achieved.
This study aims to explore compounds that activate cells composing bones and muscles, with the ultimate goal of creating innovative therapeutic drugs for musculoskeletal disorders.