The University of Osaka · Medicine
Professor Kota Iwahori's research lab focuses on cancer immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy, particularly in aggressive malignancies such as malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The lab investigates tumor-suppressive signaling molecules like SOCS1 and SOCS3 to modulate key oncogenic pathways (e.g., JAK/STAT, NF-κB), aiming to enhance antitumor immune responses and improve therapeutic efficacy. A central theme is the development of predictive biomarkers—especially peripheral T cell cytotoxicity—for immunotherapy response, with a strong emphasis on translating basic immunological findings into clinical diagnostics and personalized treatment strategies. The lab also explores repurposed drugs, such as tetracyclines, to boost T-cell immunity via signaling pathways like Zap70, highlighting a translational approach to novel immunotherapeutic combinations.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis for which an effective therapy remains to be established. Our study investigated the therapeutic potential of the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), an endogenous inhibitor of intracellular signaling pathways, for treatment of MPM. We infected MPM cells (H226, EHMES-1, MESO-1 and MESO-4) with an adenovirus-expressing SOCS3 (AdSOCS3) to examine the effect of SOCS3 overexpression on MPM cells. SOCS3 overexpres
Cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, exerts beneficial effects in cancer patients. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors are only advantageous for a limited population of cancer patients. Therefore, companion diagnostics are needed in order to identify patients for whom these therapies are effective. In the present study, we evaluated detailed immunological aspects in clinical specimens from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We analyzed the immune profiles, T
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis for which an effective therapy remains to be established. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of gene delivery using suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS-1), an endogenous inhibitor of intracellular signaling pathways, for the treatment of MPM. We infected MPM cells (MESO-4, H28 and H226) with adenovirus-expressing SOCS-1 vector to examine the effect of SOCS-1 overexpression on MPM cells. We evaluat
Anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) therapy exerts beneficial effects in a limited population of cancer patients. Therefore, more accurate diagnostics to predict the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy are desired. The present study investigated whether peripheral T cell cytotoxicity predicts the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Advanced NSCLC patients treated with anti-PD-1 monotherapy (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) were consecutively enrolled in t
In conclusion, tetracyclines enhanced antitumor T-cell immunity via Zap70 signaling. These results will contribute to the development of novel cancer immunotherapy.
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