Professor

Akira Watanabe, MD

Associate professor

Shigeru Fujimura, PhD

Technical assistant

Yasuko Kariya

Technical assistant

Tomoko ITO

This research department places the primary focus more on the appropriate implementation of clinical studies than on preclinical studies among the various stages of anti-infective drug development, attaching weight especially to secure clinical development in a short period. Our purpose is to actively and voluntarily undertake the development of not only antibiotics and antimicrobials but antifungals, tuberculostatics, antivirals, and various vaccines. We experienced the advent of emerging infections such as AIDS and the resurgence of reemerging infections such as intractable tuberculosis caused by multidrug-resistant organism in the 1980s and spread of MRSA and multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in the 1990s. In the 2000s, the increase in fatalities from AIDS (³3 millions per year) and the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria such as multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and super-resistant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have attracted social attention. As for infections and resistant bacteria, it is necessary not only to stop the spread from the outbreak location but also to control the outbreak itself. We place more emphasis on the prevention of the outbreak itself than on the containment of the infections and resistant bacteria, and aim to foster human resources involved in the development of drugs for treatment and prevention of infections as well as anti-infectives based on the themes listed below.

1. Leading-edge drug discovery and development in medical and pharmaceutical sciences, promotion of researches on pharmaceutical agent, and development of human resources.
2. Promotion of clinical studies on novel anti-infectives, improvement of post-marketing clinical studies, and promotion of international standardization.
3. Establishment of proper usage of anti-infectives based on the drug characteristics, and promotion of clinical researches.
4. Prevention of in-hospital infection, promotion of researches on drug-resistant bacteria control, and dissemination and promotion of the achievements.
5. Promotion of researches on zoonotic infections and anti-bioterrorism measures.
6. Promotion of development and practical application of bird flu anti-viral drugs.
7. Basic and clinical researches on drug-resistant bacteria and promotion of the control.
8. Epidemiological measures for the prevention of chronic infections such as tuberculosis and promotion of the prospective treatment and prevention.

References (publications in the past 5 years)

1. Fujimura S, Kato S, Watanabe A. Water source as a Helicobacter pylori transmission route: a 3-year follow-up study of Japanese children living in a unique district. J. Med. Microbiol. 57:909-910, 2008
2. Fujimura S, Sato T, Mikami T, Kikuchi T, Gomi K and Watanabe A: Combined efficacy of clarithromycin plus cefazolin or vancomycin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms formed on titanium medical divices. Intern J Antimicrob Agents 32:481-484, 2008.
3. Fujimura S, Fuse K, Gomi K, Kikuchi T, Tokue Y and Watanabe A: In vitro susceptibility of clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus to manufactured generic drugs compared with the brand vancomycin. Intern J Antimicrob Agents 31:391-392, 2008
4. Watanabe A and Takahashi H: Diagnosis and treatment for Q fever: attempts to clarify current problems in Japan. J Infect Chemother 14:1-7, 2008.
5. Watanabe A, Yanagihara K, Kohno S, Matsushima T, and HAP study group: Multicenter survey on hospital-acquired pneumonia and clinical efficacy of first-line antibiotics in Japan. Internal Medicine 47:245-254, 2008.
6. Niki Y, Hanaki H, Yagisawa M, Kohno S, Aoki N, Watanabe A, et al. The first nationwide surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens conducted by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy. Part 1: a general view on antibacterial susceptibility. J Infect Chemother 14:279-290, 2008.
7. Seki M, Watanabe A, Mikasa K, Kadota J and Kohno S: Revision of the Severity Rating and Classification of Hospital-acquired Pneumonia in the Japanese Respiratory Society Guidelines. Respirology 13:880-885, 2008.
8. Watanabe A, Fujimura S, Kikuchi T, Gomi K, Fuse K and Nukiwa T: Evaluation of dosings of carbapenems for severe respiratory infection using Monte Carlo simulation. J Infect Chemother 13: 332-340, 2007
9. Fujimura S, Nakano Y, Sato T, Shirahata K and Watanabe A: Relationship between the usage of carbapenem antibiotics and the incidence of imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Infect Chemother 13:147-150,2007
10. Gomi K, Watanabe A, Aoki S, Kikuchi T, Fuse K, Nukiwa T, Kurokawa I and Fujimura S: Antibacterial activity of carbapenems against clinically isolated respiratory bacterial pathogens in Japan between 2005 and 2006. Intern J Antimicrob Agents 29:586-592, 2007
11. Fujimura S, Oka T, Tooi O, Meguro M, Chiba M, Kawamura M, Maki F, Takeda H, Watanabe A. Detection of L. pneumophila serogroup 7 strain from bathwater samples in a Japanese hospital. J Infect Chemother 12:105-108,2006
12. Fujimura S, Kato S, Oda M, Miyahara M, Ito Y, Kimura K, Kawamura T, Ohnuma M, Tateno H, Watanabe A. Detection of L.gasseri OLL2716 strains administrated with Yogurt drink in gastric mucus layer in human. Lett Appl Microbiol 43:578-581,2006
13. Gomi K, Kikuchi T, Tokue Y, Fujimura S, Uehara A, Takada H, Watanabe A and Nukiwa T: Mouse and human cells activation by N-dodecanoyl-DL-homoserine lactone(C12-HSL), a Chromobacterium violaceum autoinducer. Infect Immun, 74:7029-7031,2006
14. Saito A, Kohno S, Matsushima T, Watanabe A, Oizumi K, Yamaguchi K, Oda H, and the study group: Prospective multicentrer study on the causative organisms of community-acquired pneumonia in adults in Japan. J Infect Chemother 12(2):63-69, 2006.
15. Kato S, Fujimura S, Oda M, Kimura K, Hamada M Non-Helicobacter bacterial flora rarely develops in the gastric mucosal layer of children Dig Dis Sci 51:641-646 2006
16. Fujimura S, Kato S and Watanabe A : In vitro activity of tetracyclines against Helicobacter pylori isolates from Japanese children. Ped Infect Dis J 24(7):660, 2005.
17. Kikuchi T, Andarini S, Xin H, Gomi K, Tokue Y, Saijo Y, Honjo T, Watanabe A and Nukiwa T: Involvement of fractalkine/CX3CL1 expression by dendritic cells in the enhancement of host immunity against Legionella pneumophila. Infect Immun 73(9): 5350-5357, 2005.
18. Watanabe A, Tokue Y, Kikuchi T, Gomi K, Aoki S, Sato T and Fujimura S: Antibacterial activity of carbapenems against clinically isolated respiratory bacterial pathogens in Japan between 2003 and 2004. Intern J Antimicrob Agents 26(5):420-423, 2005.
19. Fujimura S, Kato S, Iinuma K and Watanabe A : In vitro exposure to macrolide antibiotics in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from children. J Infect Chemother 10:128-130, 2004.
20. Fujimura S, Kato S, Iinuma K and Watanabe A : In vitro activity of fluoroquinolone and the gyrA gene mutation in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from children. J Med Microbiol 53:1019-1022, 2004.
21. Fujimura S, Kato S, Hashimoto M, Takeda H, Maki F and Watanabe A : Survey of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from neonates and the environment in the NICU. J Infect Chemother 10:131-132, 2004.
22. Fujimura S, Kato S, Nagai K, Iinuma K, Kawamura T. Detection of Helicobacter pylori in the stools of newborn infants. Ped Infect Dis J. 23:1055-56 2004
23. Fujimura S, Kato S, Kawamura T. Helicobacter pylori in Japanese river water and its prevalence in Japanese children. Lett Appl Microbiol 38:517-521 2004
24. Azuma T, Kato S, Zhou W, Yamazaki S, Yamakawa A, Ohtani M, Fujimura S, Minoura T, Iinuma K, Kato T. Diversity of vacA and cagA genes of Helicobacter pylori in Japanese children. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 20S:7-12 2004
25. Watanabe A: Various clinical types of Q-fever disease. Intern Med 43(1):1-2, 2004.
26. Kikuchi T, Kobayashi T, Gomi K, Suzuki T, Tokue Y, Watanabe A and Nukiwa T: Dendritic cells pulsed with live and dead Legionella pneumophila elicit distinct immune responses. J Immunol 1727-1734, 2004.
27. Gomi K, Tokue Y, Kobayashi T, Takahashi H, Watanabe A, Fujita T and Nukiwa T: Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphism is a modulating factor in repeated respiratory infections. Chest 126:95-99, 2004.
28. Takahashi H, Tokue Y, Kikuchi T, Kobayashi T, Gomi K, Goto I, Shiraishi H, Fukushi H, Hirai K, Nukiwa T and Watanabe A: Prevalence of community-acquired respiratory tract infections associated with Q fever in Japan. Diagnost Microbiol Infect Dis 48:247-252, 2004.
29. Saito A, Hiraga Y, Watanabe A, Saito A, Shimada K, Kobayashi H, Odagiri S, Miki F, Soejima R, Oizumi K, Hara K and Nakashima M: Comparative clinical study of cefcapene pivoxil and cefteram pivoxil in chronic respiratory tract infections by a double-blind method. J Int Med Res 32(6):590-607, 2004
30. Miyashita N, Saito A, Kohno S, Yamaguchi K, Watanabe A, Oda H, Kazuyama Y, Matsushima T and the CAP study group: Multiplex PCR for the simultaneous detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila in community-acquired pneumonia. Respir Med 98:542-550, 2004.
31. Fujimura S, Tokue Y and Watanabe A : Isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase gene mutations in clinical isolates and in vitro inducement of low level mupirocin resistance in strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 47:3373-3374, 2003.
32. Fujimura S and Watanabe A : Survey of high- and low-level mupirocin-resistant strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 15 Japanese hospitals. Chemotherapy 49:36-38, 2003.
33. Kikuchi T, Hagiwara K, Honda Y, Watanabe A and Nukiwa T : Supressive mechanism of clarithromycin on lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-8 production in human monocytes by mediating AP-1 and NF-kappaB. Jpn J Antibiotics. 56:100-105, 2003.
34. Watanabe A: Panipenem/Betamipron, A viewpoint by Akira Watanabe. Drugs 63(9):926, 2003.