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RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Laboratory for Skin Homeostasis

Team Leader: Masayuki Amagai (M.D., Ph.D)

Research Summary

Masayuki  Amagai(M.D., Ph.D)

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. Ito Y, Sasaki T, Li Y, Tanoue T, Sugiura Y, Skelly AN, Suda W, Kawashima Y, Okahashi N, Watanabe E, Horikawa H, Shiohama A, Kurokawa R, Kawakami E, Iseki H, Kawasaki H, Iwakura Y, Shiota A, Yu L, Hisatsune J, Koseki H, Sugai M, Arita M, Ohara O, Matsui T, Suematsu M, Hattori M, Atarashi K, Amagai M, Honda K.:
    "Staphylococcus cohnii is a potentially biotherapeutic skin commensal alleviating skin inflammation."
    Cell Rep. 35(4):109052. 2021
  • 2. Matsui T, Kadono-Maekubo N, Suzuki Y, Furuichi Y, Shiraga K, Sasaki H, Ishida A, Sonoko Takahashi S, Okada T, Toyooka K, Sharif J, Abe T, Kiyonari H, Tominaga M, Miyawaki A, Amagai M.:
    "A unique mode of keratinocyte death requires intracellular acidification."
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 118(17):e2020722118. 2021
  • 3. Thyssen JP, Jakasa I, Riethmüller C, Schön MP, Braun A, Haftek M, Fallon PG, Wróblewski J, Jakubowski H, Eckhart L, Declercq W, Koppes S, Engebretsen KA, Bonefeld C, Irvine AD, Keita-Alassane S, Simon M, Kawasaki H, Kubo A, Amagai M, Matsui T, Kezic S.:
    "Filaggrin expression and processing deficiencies impair corneocyte surface texture and stiffness in mice."
    J Invest Dermatol 140(3):615-23. 2020
  • 4. Atsugi T, Yokouchi M, Hirano T, Hirabayashi A, Nagai T, Ohyama M, Abe T, Kaneko M, Zouboulis CC, Amagai M, Kubo A.:
    "Holocrine Secretion Occurs outside the Tight Junction Barrier in Multicellular Glands: Lessons from Claudin-1-Deficient Mice."
    J Invest Dermatol 140(2):298-308. 2020
  • 5. Miyamoto A, Lee S, Cooray NF, Lee S, Mori M, Matsuhisa N, Jin H, Yoda L, Yokota T, Itoh A, Sekino M, Kawasaki H, Ebihara T, Amagai M, Someya T.:
    Inflammation-free, gas-permeable, lightweight, stretchable on-skin electronics with nanomeshes.
    Nat Nanotechnol 12(9):907-13. 2017.
  • 6. 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.
  • 7. 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(4):756-66. 2015.
  • 8. 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):1111-20 e1114. 2013.
  • 9. *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):1538-46. 2012.
  • 10. *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):2937-46, 2009

Related Links

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Masayuki Amagai
Team Leader

Core members

Hiroshi Kawasaki
Senior Research Scientist
Keitaro Fukuda
Senior Research Scientist
Hiroto Horikawa
Junior Research Associate
Umi Tahara
Junior Research Associate
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

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