Chiba University Hospital Department of Human Mucosal Vaccinology
Distinguished Professor
（group leader） Hiroshi Kiyono
The immune system protects the human body from various pathogens and creates symbiotic conditions for beneficial microorganisms. Our research group started at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and had the opportunity to be involved in the initial phase of providing new evidence for the presence of a specialized immune system in the vast mucosal surface of the digestive and respiratory organs, starting from the mouth and nose. Our team has continued to grow and conduct cutting-edge research to understand the uniqueness of the mucosal immune system at Osaka University and the University of Tokyo, and now at Chiba University and the University of California San Diego (UCSD). We have been fortunate to participate in and lead the establishment of mucosal immunology as a new scientific field in medicine.
Based on the accumulated knowledge and technology generated by our research team as pioneers in the establishment of Mucosal Immunology, we have a dream. With our current research efforts, we aim to contribute to the creation of a "Sustainable Society with Vaccines" and a "Safe and Secure Vaccination Society" by developing human-friendly mucosal vaccines. To achieve these goals, we are continuously unraveling the "mystery of mucosal immunity" to understand the basis of the system that leads us to the development of "mucosal vaccines", which are expected to be a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and various other diseases.
Our "Mucosal Immunology Research Team" has recently moved to Chiba University from the Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo (IMSUT), where we have been affiliated for about 20 years, and established a new joint research department with Shionogi & Co., Ltd. called "Human Mucosal Vaccinology", which aims at the practical application of the mucosal immune system for the development of mucosal vaccines. By continuing research activities with our colleagues at Chiba University and UCSD, we wish to reach the stage of "helping people around the world", which is the ultimate goal of medical science, by preventing numerous aero-digestive infectious diseases with "oral and nasal vaccines" based on mucosal immunology. To this end, our research team continues to work tirelessly every day.
The motto of our laboratory is "Positive Thinking and the Power to Continue". Immediately after graduating from Nihon University, School of Dentistry at Mastudo, I was given the opportunity to study abroad at UAB in the United States, where I started my research career and received my Ph.D. in experimental pathology. During my research career of nearly half a century, I experienced many experimental failures, and there was a time when I wandered through a long and dark tunnel. Even at such times, I have vague hopes that "there is a bright future ahead! I have always been helped by my optimistic positive thinking and the wise words of my mentor, Prof. Jerry R. McGhee, "No problem! We never give up, and the continuation of the twists and turns brings us many bright moments in our understanding of the fascinating aspects of the mucosal immune system. This good fortune in our research life could not have happened without many talented and dedicated loyal colleagues at past and present institutions. It is no exaggeration to say that the newly created Department of Human Mucosal Vaccinology will continuously contribute to and accelerate our efforts in mucosal vaccine research and development (RaD) because of the commitment and dedication of our team members.
Daily RaD with these wonderful colleagues has been a pure joy and an endless driving force to pursue daily challenges in mucosal immunology and mucosal vaccine development.
The scientific freedom environment of the university allowed us to immerse ourselves in the basic medical science that started with our intellectual ideas and curiosity with our wonderful colleagues who were also good at wisdom, resulting in the building of a scientific foundation of mucosal immunology and its advancement for the development of mucosal vaccines. At the same time, our efforts have also been directed at cultivating the next generation of mucosal immunologists who will create new ideas and dogmas and conduct novel research to advance our knowledge in mucosal immunology, which will contribute to the realization of safe and effective human mucosal vaccines. Many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from our laboratories have become independent researchers and have made remarkable achievements in various universities, research institutes and companies in the United States, Europe and Asian countries. It is our greatest honor and pleasure to train such eminent scientists who aspire to greater heights with the research foundation and philosophy cultivated in our laboratory. Through these efforts, our group will continue to strive to train the next generation of multi-talented researchers through our interdisciplinary research strategy, merging globally with various fields of science to develop a new generation of mucosal vaccines.
I, and everyone in our laboratory, are committed to continuously unraveling the mucosal immune system toward our ultimate goal of developing the next generation of mucosal vaccines. If you would like to join us in exploring the mysteries of mucosal immunology, achieving further elucidation, and trying to develop new disease prevention and treatment methods using "mucosal vaccines", our invitation is open. Please visit our laboratory. The world of mucosal immunology and vaccinology is waiting for you.