Associate Professor                                                                                             

M.D., 1990, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan

Major Research Interests:  Neurovirology, Viral Pathogenesis, Neuroimmunology, Autoimmunity, Multiple Sclerosis, Myocarditis, Bioinformatics

Our research is aimed at elucidating the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders and virus infections in the central nervous system (CNS), using autoimmune and viral models for multiple sclerosis (MS): experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) infection in mice. We have studied both host immune responses and pathogens (viruses), using immunological, virological, and neuropathological methods, particularly the roles of helper T (Th) 1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T (Treg) cells. We have established EAE model for primary progressive MS to elucidate the roles for cytokines, natural antibody, and apoptosis in deciphering how these factors contribute to disease progression. We are also investigating biomarkers for viral myocarditis induced with TMEV, using bioinformatics (computational) analyses of multivariate data from echocardiography, microarray, immunological and histological assays.

Representative Publications:

Sato F, Martinez NE, Shahid M, Rose JW, Carlson NG and Tsunoda I.  (2013).  Resveratrol exacerbates both autoimmune and viral models for multiple sclerosis.  Am J Pathol, 183 (5): 1390-1396.  PMCID: PMC3814682

Martinez NE, Sato F, Omura S, Minagar A, Alexander JS and Tsunoda I.  (2013).  Immunopathological patterns from EAE and Theiler’s virus infection: Is multiple sclerosis a homogenous 1-stage or heterogeneous 2-stage disease?  Pathophysiology  20 (1): 71-84.  PMCID: PMC3430756

Omura S, Kawai E, Sato F, Martinez NE, Chaitanya GV, Rollyson P, Cvek U, Trutschl M, Alexander JS, and Tsunoda I.  (2014).  Bioinformatics multivariate analysis determined a set of phase-specific biomarker candidates in a novel mouse model for viral myocarditis. Circ. Cardiovasc. Genet. 7: 444-454.  PMID: 25031303

Martinez NE, Karlsson F, Sato F, Kawai E, Omura S, Grisham MB, Minagar A and Tsunoda I.  (2014).  Protective and detrimental roles for regulatory T cells in a viral model for multiple sclerosis.  Brain Pathol. 24 (5): 436-51.  

Fernando V, Omura S, Martinez NE, Sato F, Kawai E, Takahashi S, Yoh K, and Tsunoda I.  (2014).  Regulation of an autoimmune model for multiple sclerosis in Th2-biased GATA3 transgenic mice.  Int J Mol Sci, 15: 1700-1718.

Martinez NE, Sato F, Kawai E, Omura S, Takahashi S, Yoh K and Tsunoda I.  (2014).  RORγt, but not T-bet, overexpression exacerbates an autoimmune model for multiple sclerosis in novel Th17-biased transgenic mice. J. Neuroimmunol. 276: 142-149.  PMID: 25288300

Sato F, Omura S, Kawai E, Martinez NE, Acharya MM, Reddy PC, Chaitanya GV, Alexander JS and Tsunoda I.  (2014).  Distinct kinetics of viral replication, T cell infiltration, and fibrosis in three phases of myocarditis following Theiler’s virus infection.  Cell. Immunol. 292 (1-2): 85-93. 

Kawai E, Sato F, Omura S, Martinez NE, Reddy PC, Taniguchi M., and Tsunoda I.  (2015).  Organ-specific protective role of NKT Cells in virus-induced inflammatory demyelination and myocarditis depends on mouse strain.  J. Neuroimmunol. 278 (1-2):174-784.  PMID: 25434008

Sato F, Omura S, Jaffe S and Tsunoda I.  (2015).  Role of CD4 T lymphocytes in pathophysiology of  multiple sclerosis.  In: Multiple sclerosis: A mechanistic view.  Minagar A (Ed),  Elsevier, Burlington, in press.

Martinez NE, Sato F, Kawai E, Omura S, Takahashi S, Yoh K and Tsunoda I.  (2015).  Th17-biased RORγt transgenic mice become susceptible to a viral model for multiple sclerosis.  Brain Behav. Immun.  43: 86-97.

Laboratory Website: http://tsunodalaboratory.web.fc2.com/

All Publications: Pubmed