Molecular Immunity Unit
Tetsuo Hasegawa
The role of neuroimmune interactions in the joint

Joint pain and inflammation are common manifestations of various systemic diseases. We are generating a 3D molecular atlas of the membrane in the joint, called the synovium, to investigate why joints are responsive to diverse systemic pathologies, how communication between synovial cells and nociceptors influences disease progression and what mechanisms underlie immune-driven pain in the joints.
Selected Publications
Macrophages and nociceptor neurons form a sentinel unit around fenestrated capillaries to defend the synovium from circulating immune challenge.Nat Immunol 25(12): 2270-2283 (2024)
Identification of a novel arthritis-associated osteoclast precursor macrophage regulated by FoxM1.Nat Immunol 20(12): 1631-1643 (2020)
Periportal macrophages protect against commensal-driven liver inflammation.Nature 629(8013): 901-909 (2024)
Development of an intravital imaging system for the synovial tissue reveals the dynamics of CTLA-4 Ig in vivo.Sci Rep 10(1): 13480 (2020) Epub