2026/07/03 更新

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写真a

イマイ タカシ
今井 崇史
IMAI TAKASHI
所属
医学研究院 臨床医学部門 助教
医学部 医学科(併任)
職名
助教
外部リンク

研究分野

  • ライフサイエンス / 細胞生物学

  • ライフサイエンス / 胎児医学、小児成育学

  • ライフサイエンス / 免疫学

学位

  • 博士(医学) ( 2019年3月 九州大学 )

経歴

  •  医学研究院 臨床医学部門  助教 

    2025年4月 - 現在

学歴

  • 九州大学   医学部   医学科

    2003年4月 - 2009年3月

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    国名:日本国

研究テーマ・研究キーワード

  • 研究テーマ: TINU症候群における免疫応答の網羅的な評価

    研究キーワード: TINU症候群

    研究期間: 2025年4月

受賞

  • Young Investigator Award

    2025年2月   日本免疫不全・自己炎症学会  

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    受賞区分:国内学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞 

  • 優秀論文賞

    2021年11月   九州小児科学会  

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    受賞区分:国内学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞 

  • 第36回井上研究奨励賞

    2020年2月   井上科学振興財団  

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    受賞区分:出版社・新聞社・財団等の賞 

  • 最優秀論文賞

    2019年11月   九州小児科学会  

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    受賞区分:国内学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞 

  • 優秀演題賞

    2019年4月   日本感染症学会  

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    受賞区分:国内学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞 

  • Young Investigator Award

    2018年11月   Asian Congress of Pediatric Infectious Diseases  

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    受賞区分:国際学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞 

  • ベストプレゼンテーション賞

    2017年12月   日本免疫学会  

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    受賞区分:国内学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞 

▼全件表示

論文

  • The RIPK1 death domain restrains ZBP1- and TRIF-mediated cell death and inflammation. 査読 国際共著 国際誌

    Takashi Imai, Juan Lin, Göksu Gökberk Kaya, Eunjin Ju, Vangelis Kondylis, Konstantinos Kelepouras, Gianmaria Liccardi, Chun Kim, Manolis Pasparakis

    Immunity   2024年5月

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    担当区分:筆頭著者   記述言語:英語   掲載種別:研究論文(学術雑誌)  

    RIPK1 is a multi-functional kinase that regulates cell death and inflammation and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. RIPK1 acts in a kinase-dependent and kinase-independent manner to promote or suppress apoptosis and necroptosis, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we show that a mutation (R588E) disrupting the RIPK1 death domain (DD) caused perinatal lethality induced by ZBP1-mediated necroptosis. Additionally, these mice developed postnatal inflammatory pathology, which was mediated by necroptosis-independent TNFR1, TRADD, and TRIF signaling, partially requiring RIPK3. Our biochemical mechanistic studies revealed that ZBP1- and TRIF-mediated activation of RIPK3 required RIPK1 kinase activity in wild-type cells but not in Ripk1R588E/R588E cells, suggesting that DD-dependent oligomerization of RIPK1 and its interaction with FADD determine the mechanisms of RIPK3 activation by ZBP1 and TRIF. Collectively, these findings revealed a critical physiological role of DD-dependent RIPK1 signaling that is important for the regulation of tissue homeostasis and inflammation.

    DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.04.016

    PubMed

  • Smooth muscle cell specific NEMO deficiency inhibits atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice. 査読 国際共著 国際誌

    Takashi Imai, Trieu-My Van, Manolis Pasparakis, Apostolos Polykratis

    Scientific reports   12 ( 1 )   12538 - 12538   2022年7月

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    担当区分:筆頭著者   記述言語:英語   掲載種別:研究論文(学術雑誌)  

    The development of atherosclerotic plaques is the result of a chronic inflammatory response coordinated by stromal and immune cellular components of the vascular wall. While endothelial cells and leukocytes are well-recognised mediators of inflammation in atherosclerosis, the role of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) remains incompletely understood. Here we aimed to address the role of canonical NF-κB signalling in SMCs in the development of atherosclerosis. We investigated the role of NF-κB signalling in SMCs in atherosclerosis by employing SMC-specific ablation of NEMO, an IKK complex subunit that is essential for canonical NF-κB activation, in ApoE-/- mice. We show that SMC-specific ablation of NEMO (NEMOSMCiKO) inhibited high fat diet induced atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice. NEMOSMCiKO/ApoE-/- mice developed less and smaller atherosclerotic plaques, which contained fewer macrophages, decreased numbers of apoptotic cells and smaller necrotic areas and showed reduced inflammation compared to the plaques of ApoE-/- mice. In addition, the plaques of NEMOSMCiKO/ApoE-/- mice showed higher expression of α-SMA and lower expression of the transcriptional factor KLF4 compared to those of ApoE-/- mice. Consistently, in vitro, NEMO-deficient SMCs exhibited reduced proliferation and migration, as well as decreased KLF4 expression and lower production of IL-6 and MCP-1 upon inflammatory stimulus (TNF or LPS) compared to NEMO-expressing SMCs. In conclusion, NEMO-dependent activation of NF-κB signalling in SMCs critically contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by regulating SMC proliferation, migration and phenotype switching in response to inflammatory stimuli.

    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16737-8

    PubMed

  • Vacuolar sterol β-glucosidase EGCrP2/Sgl1 deficiency in Cryptococcus neoformans: Dysfunctional autophagy and Mincle-dependent immune activation as targets of novel antifungal strategies 査読

    Watanabe T., Nagai M., Ishibashi Y., Iwasaki M., Mizoguchi M., Nagata M., Imai T., Takato K., Imamura A., Kakuta Y., Teramoto T., Tani M., Matsuda J., Ishida H., Yamasaki S., Okino N., Ito M.

    Plos Pathogens   21 ( 4 )   2025年4月   ISSN:15537366

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    記述言語:英語   掲載種別:研究論文(学術雑誌)   出版者・発行元:Plos Pathogens  

    Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is a fungal pathogen responsible for cryptococcal meningitis, which accounts for 15% of AIDS-related deaths. Recent studies have shown that the absence of sterol β-glucosidase (EGCrP2, also known as Sgl1) in Cn significantly attenuates its virulence in a mouse infection model. However, the mechanisms underlying this virulence attenuation remain unclear. In this study, we observed a significant increase in dead cells after 3 days of culture of SGL1-deficient Cn (sgl1Δ, KO) at 37°C, compared with wild-type (WT) and SGL1-reconstituted Cn (sgl1Δ::SGL1, RE). qPCR analysis of WT, KO, and RE strains indicated that autophagy-related genes (ATGs) were significantly downregulated in KO strain. Atg8-dependent GFP translocation to the vacuole was significantly delayed in KO strain under starvation conditions. This autophagy dysfunction was identified as the primary cause of the increased cell death observed in KO strain under nitrogen starvation conditions at 37°C. EGCrP2/Sgl1 is predominantly localized in the vacuoles of Cn, and its deletion results in the accumulation of not only ergosterol β-glucoside (EG), as previously reported, but also acylated EGs (AEGs). AEGs were much more potent than EG in activating the C-type lectin receptor Mincle in mice, rats, and humans. AEGs were released from KO strain via extracellular vesicles (EVs). Chemically synthesized 18:1-EG and EVs derived from KO strain, but not WT or RE strains, enhanced cytokine production in murine and human dendritic cells. AEG-dependent cytokine production was markedly reduced in dendritic cells from Mincle-deficient mice, and the number of KO strain in lung tissue from Mincle-deficient mice was substantially higher than wild-type mice on day 3 after infection. Intranasal administration of acylated sitosterol β-glucoside increased Mincle expression and cytokine production and reduced the Cn burden in lung tissue of Cn-infected mice. These findings suggest that autophagy dysfunction in KO strain and the host innate immune response via the AEG-dependent Mincle activation are critical in reducing Cn virulence in mice.

    DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013089

    Scopus

  • The immunoreactive signature of monocyte-derived dendritic cells from patients with Down syndrome 査読

    Nakashima K., Imai T., Shiraishi A., Unose R., Goto H., Nagatomo Y., Kojima-Ishii K., Mushimoto Y., Nishiyama K., Yamamura K., Nagata H., Ishimura M., Kusuhara K., Koga Y., Sakai Y., Ohga S.

    Clinical and Experimental Immunology   217 ( 3 )   291 - 299   2024年9月   ISSN:00099104

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    記述言語:英語   出版者・発行元:Clinical and Experimental Immunology  

    The clinical spectrum of Down syndrome (DS) ranges from congenital malformations to premature aging and early-onset senescence. Excessive immunoreactivity and oxidative stress are thought to accelerate the pace of aging in DS patients; however, the immunological profile remains elusive. We investigated whether peripheral blood monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) in DS patients respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) distinctly from non-DS control MoDCs. Eighteen DS patients (age 2–47 years, 12 males) and 22 controls (age 4–40 years, 15 males) were enrolled. CD14-positive monocytes were immunopurified and cultured for 7 days in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-4, yielding MoDCs in vitro. After the LPS-stimulation for 48 hours from days 7 to 9, culture supernatant cytokines were measured by multiplex cytokine bead assays, and bulk-prepared RNA from the cells was used for transcriptomic analyses. MoDCs from DS patients produced cytokines/chemokines (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IP-10) at significantly higher levels than those from controls in response to LPS. RNA sequencing revealed that DS-derived MoDCs differentially expressed 137 genes (74 upregulated and 63 downregulated) compared with controls. A gene enrichment analysis identified 5 genes associated with Toll-like receptor signaling (KEGG: hsa04620, P = 0.00731) and oxidative phosphorylation (hsa00190, P = 0.0173) pathways. MoDCs obtained from DS patients showed higher cytokine or chemokine responses to LPS than did control MoDCs. Gene expression profiles suggest that hyperactive Toll-like receptor and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathways configure the immunoreactive signature of MoDCs in DS patients.

    DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxae048

    Scopus

講演・口頭発表等

  • The RIPK1 death domain restrains ZBP1- and TRIF-mediated cell death and inflammation 国際共著 国際会議

    Takashi Imai

    7th Toll Conference  2024年4月 

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    開催年月日: 2024年4月

    記述言語:英語   会議種別:ポスター発表  

    開催地:Rotterdam, the Netherlands   国名:オランダ王国  

所属学協会

  • 日本小児科学会

    2009年

委員歴

  • 日本小児感染症学会   代議員   国内

    2025年4月   

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    団体区分:学協会

共同研究・競争的資金等の研究課題

  • 紫斑病性腎炎における細胞傷害性T細胞とナチュラルキラー細胞の関与の解明

    2020年4月 - 2026年3月

    科学研究費助成事業若手研究 

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    担当区分:研究代表者  資金種別:科研費

大学全体における各種委員・役職等

  • 2026年4月 - 現在   准教授・講師・助教候補者選考委員会委員

  • 2025年4月 - 現在   国際化担当教員

海外渡航歴

  • 2020年10月 - 2024年9月

    滞在国名1:ドイツ連邦共和国   滞在機関名1:ケルン大学

専門診療領域

  • 生物系/医歯薬学/内科系臨床医学/小児科学

臨床医資格

  • 専門医

    日本小児科学会

医師免許取得年

  • 2009年