Laboratory for Signal Network

Differentiation process controls the direction of T cell fate to acquire the several distinct functions, and these distinct T cell subsets, Th1, Th2 and Th17 communicate each other to form the network and maintain the immune surveillance system by the acquired function. The differentiation process is strictly controlled by coordination of several signals introduced from T cell antigen receptor, co-stimulatory signaling molecules and cytokine receptors. These two signals cooperatively introduce epigenetical modification in several effector cytokine genes through various signal transduction molecule and transcription factors in the spatiotemporal manner. Our research goal is clarifying the details of molecular mechanisms to regulate the differentiation processes into Th1, Th2 and Th17. Moreover, these effector cytokine genes, IFN-g, IL-4, IL-13 and IL-17 are produced from several cell lineages probably through distinct machinery. Therefore, the understanding of the details of molecular mechanisms of how the production of these effector cytokine genes was controlled in distinct cells lineages would be important question. The accumulation of these knowledges will provide us novel point of view to develop the therapeutic strategy for various immune disorders.