Nelson Bay orthoreovirus (NBV) was initially discovered in a bat sample but has since been isolated from patients with acute respiratory tract diseases. Accumulating reports of NBV isolation from patients with respiratory tract viral infections suggest that NBV is able to transmit and cause disease in humans. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We previously established a
Pertussis, or whooping cough, continues to cause periodic outbreaks worldwide and can be especially dangerous for infants who have not completed vaccination. Yet conventional surveillance depends on people seeking medical care, being tested, diagnosed, and reported, which can delay recognition of changes in community transmission.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted some severe consequences of unchecked respiratory disease, including cytokine storm. This phenomenon affected many COVID-19 patients and is a potential side effect of many other diseases involving significant inflammation, but approaches to the treatment of these symptoms remain unclear.
Researchers at The University of Osaka and The University of Tokyo conducted a Phase 1 clinical trial of iEvac-Z, a novel inactivated Ebola vaccine based on an Ebola virus lacking the VP30 gene, which is essential for viral replication. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were observed, and all participants developed antibody responses against the Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP). As the world'
Rotavirus infection causes acute diarrhea in infants and young children, resulting in underestimated pediatric public health issues, especially in low-income countries. In the absence of specific antiviral therapies, vaccination remains the most effective strategy for reducing rotavirus-associated morbidity and mortality. Because of technical limitations, reverse genetics approaches have not been
A research group led by Professor Eiji Hara and Graduate student Nozomi Hori (at the time) at the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, The University of Osaka, together with Associate Professor Shimpei Kawamoto (currently Professor at the Center for Healthspan Research, Tohoku University), has identified functional deficiencies in the p16-3MR mouse model, which has been widely used in cellul
Antigen-specific regulation of T cell response is crucial for limiting hyperimmune response. However, the molecular mechanisms governing specific immune regulation remain unclear. In this study, we discover that antibodies specific to the antigen peptide-MHC class II complex are produced during helper T cell responses to various antigens, including hen egg lysozyme and proteolipid protein peptide.
After invasion and replication, intracellular pathogens must egress from infected host cells. Toxoplasma gondii facilitates this process by permeabilizing host cells through induced secretion of perforin-like protein 1 (PLP1). However, the precise mechanism of host cell permeabilization remains enigmatic. Here, we identify the secretory microneme protein MIC11 as a key factor for membrane disrupti
A research group led by Professor Eiji Hara at the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, The University of Osaka, together with Associate Professor Shimpei Kawamoto (currently Professor at Tohoku University), in collaboration with the group of Professor Yuichi Oike (Kumamoto University), the group of Dr. Akiko Takahashi (Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research), the group of
The genus Mycobacterium includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis as well as more than 200 species of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). These organisms exhibit substantial diversity in clinical outcomes and drug susceptibility , making accurate species and subspecies identification essential for appropriate treatment.
Yoshida and Nakamura et al. investigated a nosocomial outbreak of Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. massiliense (MAM) in a hospital in Osaka, Japan, combining genomic analysis with environmental surveillance to identify its transmission route.
Influenza viruses and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are respiratory pathogens that continue to challenge global health due to their efficient transmission and ability to circumvent virus-specific treatments. Targeting host factors that are essential for viral replication may enable the development of broad-spectrum antivirals with reduced resistance potential. Here,