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RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Laboratory for Immune Cell Systems

Team Leader: Shigeo Koyasu (D.Sc.)

Research Summary

Shigeo  Koyasu(D.Sc.)

The immune system plays a critical role in not only host defense against invading microbesbut also the maintenance of homeostasis in our bodies by interacting with neuronal system and metabolism. We previously identified a new lymphoid tissue in mouse and human mesentery that we termed fat-associated lymphoid cluster (FALC). We discovered in the FALC a new innate lymphocyte subset that produces Th2 cytokines and named this new lymphocyte "Natural Helper (NH) Cell", which is now called group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2). Adipose tissues contain several immune cell types including NH cells, macrophages and regulatory T cells (Treg). Inflammation in adipose tissue leads to insulin resistance and eventually the onset of diabetes. We elucidate the immune cell network in adipose tissue in order to understand how immune cells and the metabolic system interact and control the homeostasis of metabolism.

Main Research Fields

  • Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy

Related Research Fields

  • Biological Sciences
  • Biology

Keywords

  • Immunity
  • Allergy
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Vaccine
  • Inflammation

Selected Publications

Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.

  • 1. Wagner, M., Ealey, K. N., Tetsu, H., Kiniwa, T., Motomura, Y., Moro, K. and Koyasu, S.:
    "Tumour-derived lactic acid contributes to the paucity of intratumoural ILC2s."
    Cell Rep. 30: 2743-2757 (2020).
  • 2. Sasaki, T., Moro, K., Kubota, T., Kubota, N., Kato, T., Ohno, H., Nakae, S., Saito, H. and Koyasu, S.:
    "Innate lymphoid cells in the induction of obesity."
    Cell Rep. 28: 202-217 (2019).
  • 3. Moro, K., Kabata, H., Tanabe, M., Koga, S., Takeno, N., Mochizuki, M., Fukunaga, K., Asano, K., Betsuyaku, T. and Koyasu S.:
    "Interferon and IL-27 antagonize group 2 innate lymphoid cell function and type 2 innate immune responses."
    Nat. Immunol. 17: 76-86 (2016).
  • 4. Furusawa, J.-I., Moro, K., Motomura, Y., Okamoto, K., Zhu, J., Takayanagi, H., Kubo, M. and Koyasu, S.:
    "Critical role of p38 and GATA3 in natural helper cell function."
    J. Immunol. 191: 1818-1826 (2013).
  • 5. Moro, K., Yamada, T., Tanabe, M., Takeuchi, T., Ikawa, T., Kawamoto, H., Furusawa, J.-I., Ohtani, M., Fujii, H. and Koyasu, S.:
    "Innate production of TH2 cytokines by adipose tissue-associated c-Kit+Sca-1+ lymphoid cells."
    Nature 463: 540-544 (2010).
  • 6. *Ohtani, M., Nagai, S., Kondo, S., Mizuno, S., Nakamura, K., Tanabe, M., Takeuchi, T., Matsuda, S. and Koyasu, S.:
    "Mammalian target of rapamycin and glycogen synthase kinase 3 differentially regulate LPS-induced IL-12 production in dendritic cells."
    Blood 112: 635-643 (2008).
  • 7. *Nagai, S., Mimuro, H., Yamada, T., Baba, Y., Moro, K., Nochi, T., Kiyono, H., Suzuki, T., Sasakawa, C. and Koyasu, S.:
    "Role of Peyer’s patches in Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis."
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 8971-8976 (2007).
  • 8. *Suzuki, H., Matsuda, S., Terauchi, Y., Fujiwara, M., Ohteki, T., Asano, T., Behrens, T. W., Kouro, T., Takatsu, K., Kadowaki, T. and Koyasu, S.:
    "PI3K and Btk differentially regulate B cell antigen receptor mediated signal transduction."
    Nat. Immunol. 4: 280-286 (2003).
  • 9. *Fukao, T., Tanabe, M., Terauchi, Y., Ota, T., Matsuda, S., Asano, T., Kadowaki, T., Takeuchi, T. and Koyasu, S.:
    "PI3K-mediated negative feedback regulation of IL-12 production in dendritic cells."
    Nat. Immunol. 3: 875-881 (2002).
  • 10. *Suzuki, H., Terauchi, Y. Fujiwara, M., Aizawa, S., Yazaki, Y., Kadowaki, T. and Koyasu, S.:
    "Xid-like immunodeficiency in mice with disruption of the p85α subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase."
    Science 283: 390-392 (1999).

Recent Research Results

Related Links

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Shigeo Koyasu
Team Leader

Core members

Kazuyo Moro
Deputy Team Leader
Takuma Misawa
Research Scientist
Natsuki Takeno
Technical Staff I
Miho Mochizuki
Technical Staff I
Xiaozhou Zhang
Research Part-time Worker I

Contact Information

6th floor of the North Research Building
1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama City, Kanagawa,
230-0045, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)45-503-9687
Fax: +81-(0)45-503-9686
Email: shigeo.koyasu [at] riken.jp

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