Infection Control and Immunology course

March 31, 2013

• about Lab

¡¡Distrust in vaccines is derived from their adverse reactions. It is necessary to accurately evaluate whether adverse events after vaccination are related to the vaccine. Many instances reported as adverse events are common infections such as respiratory infections and enterovirus infection. Therefore, molecular epidemiological investigations are necessary to understand the pathology and epidemiology of common infections and the properties of wild epidemic strains for using live attenuated measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines. The basic laboratory procedures for RT-PCR, determination of base sequences, and gene recombination are studied, and research under the following themes is conducted.

1. Molecular epidemiology of measles, mumps, enterovirus, and RS virus
2. Analysis of the mechanism of the attenuated
3. Designing recombinant vaccines expressing
4. Antibody epidemiological investigations of measles, rubella, mumps, and influenza
5. Biological activity of the measles virus
6. Cell fusion abilities of measles and mumps viruses
7. Rapid diagnosis of viral infections

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¡¡The students are required to choose a theme of interest from the following 1)-5) concerning human viral infections considered to be current threats such as AIDS and influenza. Instructors share their knowledge of and skills related to different areas including molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology to allow students to pursue their research themes and assist them in the evaluation and interpretation of results. On the basis of their accomplishments, instructors urge students to plan subsequent experimental strategies. Each student is required to report the state of research progress.

1. Host factors and molecular mechanisms involved in the control of viral replication
2. Mechanisms of particle formation and the maturation of viruses
3. Molecular basis of the pathology and transmission of the HIV infection
4. Action mechanisms of anti-HIV drugs and drug resistance
5. Creation of anti-HIV drugs and the molecular design of vaccines

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¡¡Some pathogenic bacteria produce their pathogenicity by actively transporting various pathogenic factors into host cells. Recent studies have revealed that type III secretion machine is involved in this transport of pathogenic factors into host cells. The special research of molecular bacteriology is conducted by focusing on the mechanisms contributing to the pathogenicity of crosstalk of pathogenic bacteria, genome analysis of pathogenic factors, structure and function of type III secretion machinery, and proteins derived from bacteria transported into host cells. After guidance in the basic techniques of molecular biology and molecular cell biology over approximately 2 months, students are asked to choose a research theme of interest from the following. Instructors serve as guides and assist the students to reach their individual research goals, respect the autonomy of students, provide logistic support for the evaluation of results, and determine the direction of the development of research. To promote improvements in research presentation techniques, research presentation sessions are also held using a projector and other equipment to develop human resources capable of independently pursuing an academic career after the completion of the master¡¯s course.

1. Functional analysis of effectors that are transported into host cells by type III secretion machinery
2. Functional analysis of the type III secretion machinery
3. Analysis of interactions between effectors and host factors

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¡¡Research on the following themes is presently being conducted to promote diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and guidance concerning infections, measures to control health-care-associated infections, the development of antimicrobial drugs, and education and research from a wide perspective.

1. Clarification of the pathological relationship between viruses and pathogenic bacteria in respiratory infections
2. Research on the dissemination pathophysiology in invasive streptococcal infections
3. Development of methods for the rapid detection of genes related to the identification of bacteria causing sepsis
4. Research on new treatments for airway viral infections
5. Establishment of evidence leading to the effective control of health-care-associated infections
6. Establishment of evidence leading to the effective control of health-care-associated infections