Our laboratory is interested in immune-related diseases including chronic inflammatory diseases caused by CD4 T helper (Th) cells such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells and investigates the pathogenesis of those diseases with animal models and human translational research.

The immune system is regulated by at least three different steps: 

1) Regulation of lymphangiogenesis; Lymphatic vessel formation is important for the recognition of invasion of pathogens because lymphatic vessels function as routes for antigen and antigen bearing antigen antigen-presenting cells to secondary lymphoid organs. 

2) Differentiation of Th cells; Precursor T helper (Th0) cells differentiate into subsets of Th cells depending on the properties of antigen and cytokine environment. Each subset of Th cells arouse specific immune responses and proper Th cell differentiation is critical for the optimal immunity against different pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.

 3) Homing of T effector cells; T effector cells should home to antigen (pathogen)-enriched tissue to eradicate them. For this, each effector cell expressed differential chemokine receptors and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) to migrate peripheral tissues.  

This research will contribute to our understanding of helper T cell-mediated diseases and develop better diagnostics and novel therapies.