Yousuke Takahama, Ph.D.

Yousuke Takahama, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator
Experimental Immunology Branch

The current interest of our laboratory is to understand molecular mechanisms (1) that build functionally competent thymus microenvironments, which are capable of supporting the production and selection of T cells, (2) that govern thymic selection to establish a functionally competent repertoire of mature T cells, and (3) that position developing T cells to localize within the thymus microenvironments for T cell repertoire formation.

Areas of Expertise

1) thymus biology, 2) thymic epithelial cells, 3) thymus development, 4) T cell development, 5) T cell repertoire selection, 6) T cell self-tolerance

Contact Info

Yousuke Takahama, Ph.D.
Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Building 10, Room 4B10
Bethesda, MD 20892
Ph: 240-858-3223
yousuke.takahama@nih.gov

The questions we would like to address in the next few years include how cortical and medullary microenvironments in the thymus positively and negatively select functionally potent and self-tolerant T cell repertoire. We would also like to study the mechanisms involved in how diverse microenvironments are formed in the thymus to shape T cell repertoire and how multiple thymic microenvironments sequentially guide to position developing T cells for their repertoire formation. 

NIH Scientific Focus Areas:
Developmental Biology, Genetics and Genomics, Immunology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Selected Recent Publications

  1. The thymoproteasome hardwires the TCR repertoire of CD8+ T cells in the cortex independent of negative selection..
    Ohigashi I, Frantzeskakis M, Jacques A, Fujimori S, Ushio A, Yamashita F, Ishimaru N, Yin D, Cam M, Kelly MC, Awasthi P, Takada K, Takahama Y.
    J Exp Med. 218: e20201904, 2021. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]
  2. Trans-omics impact of thymoproteasome in cortical thymic epithelial cells.
    Ohigashi I, Tanaka Y, Kondo K, Fujimori S, Kondo H, Palin AC, Hoffmann V, Kozai M, Matsushita Y, Uda S, Motosugi R, Hamazaki J, Kubota H, Murata S, Tanaka K, Katagiri T, Kosako H, Takahama Y.
    Cell Reports. 29: 2901-2916, 2019. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]
  3. Cellularity of thymic epithelial cells in the postnatal mouse.
    Sakata M, Ohigashi I, Takahama Y.
    J Immunol. 200: 1382-1388 , 2018. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]
  4. Essential role of CCL21 in establishment of central self-tolerance in T cells.
    Kozai M, Kubo Y, Katakai T, Kondo H, Kiyonari H, Schaeuble K, Luther SA, Ishimaru N, Ohigashi I, Takahama Y.
    J Exp Med. 214: 1925-1935, 2017. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]
  5. Foxn1-β5t transcriptional axis controls CD8+ T cell production in the thymus.
    Uddin MM, Ohigashi I, Motosugi R, Nakayama T, Sakata M, Hamazaki J, Nishito Y, Rode I, Tanaka K, Takemoto T, Murata S, and Takahama Y.
    Nat Commun. 8: 14419, 2017. Full-Text Article [ Journal Article ]

Yousuke Takahama received his Ph.D. from Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. He was a visiting fellow and visiting associate in the Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, where he studied thymocyte development and selection. He then started working on the biology of thymic microenvironments at Syntex Institute of Immunology and the University of Tsukuba in Japan. In 1999, he was appointed a Professor of Experimental Immunology, University of Tokushima. In 2018, he moved back to the United States to establish a new laboratory as a Senior Investigator in Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute. He is a founding organizer of the Global Thymus Network. His main interests are the development and function of the thymus and thymic epithelial cells, especially with regard to the repertoire selection of T lymphocytes.

Position Degree Required Contact Name E-mail Address
Post-doctoral Fellow - immunology, developmental biology, molecular biology Ph.D. or equivalent, M.D. or equivalent Yousuke Takahama yousuke.takahama@nih.gov
Name Position
Alison Jacques M.S. Biologist
Melina Frantzeskakis B.S. Biologist (Contr.)
Mami Lennikov Ph.D. Research Fellow
Jamie-Jean Gilmer Postbaccalaureate Fellow (CRTA)
Aya Ushio Ph.D., D.D.S. Postdoctoral Fellow (Visiting)