RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Laboratory for Skin Homeostasis
Team Leader: Masayuki Amagai (M.D., Ph.D)
Research Summary

Skin is an organ which covers the outer surface of living bodies. Skin diseases have been categorized based on the morphology of skin lesions, which are now being explained with molecular mechanisms. Many of these skin diseases are caused by immunological abnormalities. Skin is the place where sensitization to external antigens as well as peripheral tolerance to autoantigen take place. Our research group is trying to reveal the entire picture of the skin as an immune organ, clarify the pathophysiological mechanisms of allergic and autoimmune diseases, and develop novel therapeutic strategies based on their molecular mechanisms.
Main Research Fields
- Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
Related Research Fields
- Biology
Keywords
- skin
- epidermis
- stratum corneum
- atopic dermatitis
- barrier
Selected Publications
Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.
- 1.Yokouchi M, Atsugi T, Logtestijn MV, Tanaka RJ, Kajimura M, Suematsu M, Furuse M, Amagai M, Kubo A.:
"Epidermal cell turnover across tight junctions based on Kelvin's tetrakaidecahedron cell shape."
eLife 5:e19593. (2016). - 2.Kobayashi T, Glatz M, Horiuchi K, Kawasaki H, Akiyama H, Kaplan DH, Kong HH, Amagai M, Nagao K.:
"Dysbiosis and Staphylococcus aureus colonization drives inflammation in atopic dermatitis."
Immunity 42, 756-66. (2015). - 3.Matsui T and Amagai M.:
"Dissecting the formation, structure and barrier function of the stratum corneum."
Int. Immunol. 27: 269-80, (2015). - 4.Sasaki T, Shiohama A, Kubo A, Kawasaki H, Ishida-Yamamoto A, Yamada T, Hachiya T, Shimizu A, Okano H, Kudoh J, Amagai M.:
"A homozygous nonsense mutation in the gene for Tmem79, a component for the lamellar granule secretory system, produces spontaneous eczema in an experimental model of atopic dermatitis."
J Allergy Clin Immunol 132 (5): 1111-1120 e1114, 2013 - 5.*Kawasaki H, Nagao K, Kubo A, Hata T, Shimizu A, Mizuno H, Yamada T, Amagai M.:
"Altered stratum corneum barrier and enhanced percutaneous immune responses in filaggrin-null mice."
J Allergy Clin Immunol, 129 (6): 1538-1546, 2012 - 6.*Kubo A, Nagao K, Amagai M.:
"Epidermal barrier dysfunction and cutaneous sensitization in atopic diseases."
J Clin Invest 122 (2), 440-447, 2012 - 7.*Kubo A, Nagao K, Yokouchi M, Sasaki H, Amagai M.:
"External antigen uptake by Langerhans cells with reorganization of epidermal tight junction barriers."
J Exp Med 206 (13):2937-2946, 2009 - 8.*Stanley J R and Amagai M.:
"Pemphigus, bullous impetigo, and the staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome."
N Eng J Med 355: 1800-1810, 2006 - 9.*Amagai M, Matsuyoshi N, Wang ZH, Andl C, Stanley JR.:
"Toxin in bullous impetigo and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome targets desmoglein 1."
Nature Medicine 6: 1275-1277, 2000 - 10.*Amagai M, Tsunoda K, Suzuki H, Nishifuji K, Koyasu S, Nishikawa T.:
"Use of autoantigen knockout mice to develop an active autoimmune disease model of pemphigus."
J Clin Invest 105: 625-631, 2000
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Masayuki Amagai
- Team Leader
Core members
- Takeshi Matsui
- Deputy Team Leader
- Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Senior Scientist
- Nanako Kadono
- Visiting Researcher
- Hiroto Horikawa
- Junior Research Associate
- Umi Tahara
- Junior Research Associate
- Takenori Mori
- Student Trainee
- Mako Urabe
- Student Trainee
- Takumi Hirako
- Student Trainee
- Tomoyo Doi
- Student Trainee
- Ritsuko Ozawa
- Technical Staff I
- Rika Yokoo
- Technical Staff II
Contact Information
1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama City, Kanagawa,
230-0045, Japan
Email: masayuki.amagai [at] riken.jp