Unit Head
Hidehiko Fukahori, Ph.D.
Dr. Fukahori worked as a researcher in the areas of autoimmune diseases, organ transplant and allergies, and has been involved in the creation of multiple product candidates including one that was launched. He has led many in-house research projects and multiple collaborative research programs with external partners. In 2019, he took a Research Unit Head position in the immunology area. He has been in the present position since April 2021.
Science Lead
Masahiko Akamatsu, Ph.D.
Dr. Akamatsu investigated immunosuppressants at the Astellas Research Institute of America for three years. After returning to Japan, he participated in joint research with Professor Shimon Sakaguchi of Kyoto University (at that time), who discovered Treg, and Professor Shuh Narumiya of Kyoto University. As a principal scientist representing Astellas, he contributed to the discovery of unique compounds that induce Treg conversion, one of the outstanding outcomes of this joint research.
Publications
Akamatsu M, Mikami N, Ohkura N, Kawakami R, Kitagawa Y, Sugimoto A, Hirota K, Nakamura N, Ujihara S, Kurosaki T, Hamaguchi H, Harada H, Xia G, Morita Y, Aramori I, Narumiya S, Sakaguchi S.
Conversion of antigen-specific effector/memory T cells into Foxp3-expressing Treg cells by inhibition of CDK8/19.
Sci Immunol. 2019 Oct 25;4(40):eaaw2707. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aaw2707.
Patents
WO/2018/139660 PCT/JP2018/002826
(EN) NOVEL COMPOUND, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING REGULATORY T CELLS
Press Releases
Pandion and Astellas collaboration to deliver pancreas-targeted immunomodulators
(Pandion is a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.)