Research and Education

We are investigating 1) islet biology, 2) mechanism of incretin secretion from enteroendocrine cells and incretin action in various organs, 3) genetic investigation of young-onset and familial clustered diabetes, 4) novel therapeutic approaches to obesity and diabetes using brown adipose tissue, 5) generation of endocrine organs including insulin-producing cells and vascular endothelium from iPS cells, 6) non-invasive imaging of pancreatic β-cell and adrenal gland, 7) basic research for disorders in pituitary-adrenal system, thyroid gland and bone metabolism, and 8) clinical research for diabetes, obesity, endocrine diseases, and nutrition. The approach ranges from clinical to basic, and the research scale varies from pioneering small-scale study to large-scale research funded by Health and Labor Sciences Research Grant. All the teaching staffs discuss with, advice, and encourage students and instruct the practical techniques required to carry out the experiments. In addition, we work at upbringing of the experts in diabetology and endocrinology who can provide high quality treatment with a broad perspective that transcends any narrow specialization.

Ⅰ.Research projects in diabetes and metabolic disorders

Ⅱ.Research projects in endocrine disorders and clinical nutrition

Recent Publications

1. Nakamura T et al., Human RFX6 regulates endoderm patterning at the primitive gut tube stage. PNAS Nexus. 2024; 3(1): pgae001.
2. Botagarova A et al., Noninvasive quantitative evaluation of viable islet grafts using 111 In-exendin-4 SPECT/CT.FASEB J. 2023 ;37(4): e22859.
3. Okamura E et al., Augmentation of Growth Hormone by Chewing in Females. Nutrients. 2023; 15(16):3628.
4. Ohno Y et al., Nicotine reduces reactive oxygen species and enhances cell proliferation via the α4 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cells Dev . 2023; 32(9-10): 237-245.
5. Yamauchi I et al., TRIAC disrupts cerebral thyroid hormone action via negative feedback and heterogenous distribution among organs.iScience. 2023; 26: 107135.
6. Yasuda T et al., Inhibition of GPR120 signaling in intestine ameliorates insulin resistance and fatty liver under high-fat diet feeding. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2023; 324, E449-E460.
7. Furuya F et al., Liver autophagy-induced valine and leucine in plasma reflect the metabolic effect of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor dapagliflozin. EBioMedicine. 2022; 86:104342.
8. Ueda Y et al., Is C-type natriuretic peptide regulated by a feedback loop? A study on systemic and local autoregulatory effect. PLoS One. 2020; 15(10): e0240023.
9. Tokumoto S et al., Generation and Characterization of a Novel Mouse Model That Allows Spatiotemporal Quantification of Pancreatic β-Cell Proliferation. Diabetes. 2020; 69(11):2340-2351.

Laboratory

Lecturer：Daisuke Taura, Yoshihito Fujita, Kaori Ikeda (Department of Clinical Research Support, iACT, Kyoto University Hospital)
Special Appointment Lecturer (Hospital) : Junji Fujikura
Assistant professor:Ichiro Yamauchi, Yohei Ueda, Takaaki Murakami, Hiroyuki Fujimoto (Radioisotope Research Center, Agency for Health, Safety and Environment, Kyoto University)
Program-Specific Professor (Preemptive Medicine and Lifestyle. Disease Research Center): Mayumi Inoue
Program-Specific Assistant Professor (Preemptive Medicine and Lifestyle. Disease Research Center): Tomoko Kuwahara, Makiko Tatsumi, Sachiko Kawashima

TEL：+81-75-751-3560
FAX：+81-75-751-4244
e-mail：tounaiei@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
URL：http://metab-kyoto-u.jp/