Division of Innovative Research and Development Advanced Research & Development Programs for Medical Innovation（AMED-CREST）

[Strategic Objective] Development of medical technology using immunoregulation to overcome allergic and autoimmune diseases including pollinosis

This R&D area aims to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human immunological diseases, centered on allergic and autoimmune diseases, and includes research for development of basic technologies for improvement of appropriate functioning of the immune system.

Diseases centered on allergic responses and autoimmune systems vary from those that may lower the quality of life (QOL) of patients to those leading to death in serious cases. Deepened understanding of the immune mechanism and control of such diseases at levels of molecules, cells, organs, and tissues will be evolved into understanding of a higher-level control immune network system at individual levels, leading to clinical application.

Specific examples of research projects include immunoregulatory mechanisms by regulatory cells, construction mechanisms of the mucous membrane immune system, autoimmune system, acquired immune system, and natural immune system and their control, etiological mechanisms of autoimmune and allergic diseases, immune and infection control mechanisms, development of drugs and vaccines against diseases and measurement of their effects, establishment of methods for diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and so forth.

2010

Program Supervisor (PS)

SUGAMURA Kazuo

Chief Director, Miyagi Prefectural Hospital Organization

R&D Area Advisors

SAITO Takashi

Group Director, RIKEN Yokohama Institute

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

Professor, Osaka University

SHIBUYA Kazuko

Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba

TAKATSU Kiyoshi

Director, Toyama Prefectual institute for Pharmaceutical Research

TOKUHISA Takeshi

President, Chiba University

NOSE Masato

Professor Emeritus, Ehime University

HANAI Nobuo

President, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., LTD.

MIYASAKA Nobuyuki

Professor, Tokyo Medical and Dental University

YAMAMOTO Kazuhiko

Professor, The University of Tokyo