Research and Education

Our goal is to cure or to control the disease activity of rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We conduct clinical and basic researches based on our comprehensive cohort system and RA sample center.

Ongoing clinical researches are as follows:

1. identification of factors that lead to early diagnosis and prognosis of RA
2. role of environmental factors for the initiation of rheumatic diseases
3. roles of operative treatments on disease activity and functional prognosis

The topics of our basic research are as follows:

1. modification of autoimmunity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by antirheumatic drugs
2. development of RA treatment using stem cells
3. roles of CD4 T cells in rheumatic diseases
4. suppression of joint destruction by antirheumatic drugs, and more with the collaboration with relevant departments

Another important mission of our department is education of medical students, co-medicals, and patients via lectures and RA classes that lead to thorough understanding of the pathophysiology, care and treatments of rheumatic diseases.

Department of Advanced Medicine for Rheumatic Diseases consists of physicians and orthopaedic surgeons and provides optimal treatment for patients.

Ultrasound of joints for diagnosis and evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis

Recent Publications

1. Nakayama Y, Watanabe R, Yamamoto W, Ebina K, Hirano T, Kotani T, Shiba H,Katayama M, Son Y, Amuro H, Onishi A, Jinno S, Hara R, Murakami K, Murata K, ItoH, Tanaka M, Matsuda S, Morinobu A, Hashimoto M. IL-6 inhibitors and JAKinhibitors as favourable treatment options for patients with anaemia andrheumatoid arthritis: ANSWER cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2024 Feb1;63(2):349-357. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead299. PMID: 37354495.
2. Fujii T, Murata K, Onizawa H, Onishi A, Tanaka M, Murakami K, Nishitani K,Furu M, Watanabe R, Hashimoto M, Ito H, Fujii T, Mimori T, Morinobu A, MatsudaS. Management and treatment outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis in the era ofbiologic and targeted synthetic therapies: evaluation of 10-year data from theKURAMA cohort. Arthritis Res Ther. 2024 Jan 9;26(1):16. doi:10.1186/s13075-023-03251-z. PMID: 38195572; PMCID: PMC10775516.
3. Umemoto A, Kuwada T, Murata K, Shiokawa M, Ota S, Murotani Y, Itamoto A,Nishitani K, Yoshitomi H, Fujii T, Onishi A, Onizawa H, Murakami K, Tanaka M,Ito H, Seno H, Morinobu A, Matsuda S. Identification of anti-citrullinatedosteopontin antibodies and increased inflammatory response by enhancement ofosteopontin binding to fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis.Arthritis Res Ther. 2023 Feb 17;25(1):25. doi: 10.1186/s13075-023-03007-9. PMID:36804906; PMCID: PMC9936655.
4. Murata K, Uozumi R, Fujii T, Onishi A, Murakami K, Onizawa H, Tanaka M,Morinobu A, Matsuda S. Effects of IL-6, JAK, TNF inhibitors, and CTLA4-Ig onknee symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Sci Rep. 2024 Jul2;14(1):15226. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66064-3. PMID: 38956271; PMCID:PMC11220105.
5. Honda S, Murata K, Fujibayashi S, Otsuki B, Shimizu T, Fujii T, Okuzu Y,Kawai T, Kuroda Y, Onishi A, Murakami K, Onizawa H, Tanaka M, Morinobu A,Matsuda S. Effect of high disease activity on spinal sagittal malalignment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Neurosurg Spine. 2024 Mar 29;41(1):24-32.doi: 10.3171/2024.1.SPINE231199. PMID: 38552241.

Laboratory

Program Specific Associate Professor: Masao Tanaka
Program Specific Senior Lecturer: Akira Onishi
Program Specific Senior Lecturer: Koichi Murata
Program-Specific Assistant Professor, University Hospital: Takayuki Fujii
Program-Specific Assistant Professor, University Hospital: Shuichiro Nakabo
Researcher: Natsuki Yamamoto

TEL：+81-75-751-3877
FAX：+81-75-751-3885
URL：http://www.racenter.kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp/