Department of Psychoneuroimmunology

Mental illnesses such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and dementia are said to be deeply related to the immune system. For example, depression, whose main symptoms are a low mood and lack of motivation, is a state of mild systemic inflammation. In addition, the so-called "recovery" state, where you feel unmotivated after catching a cold, is also an example of mental symptoms that arise from inflammation, which is one of the reasons why inflammation, immunity, and mental illness are said to be related. However, even for symptoms that we have experienced in our daily lives, the medical reasons for "why" they occur are still unclear. This course is aimed at elucidating the relationship and mechanisms between such mental and neurological disorders and immunity, and is established as a course that mainly conducts basic medical research using animals.

In particular, we are focusing on research into interleukin 18, one of the important factors that cause inflammation. Interleukin 18 is one of the important factors that trigger an immune response to remove foreign substances such as bacteria during bacterial infections, and was first discovered here at Hyogo Medical University in 1995. Furthermore, in 2019, our department reported to the world a summary of the fact that interleukin 18, which is involved in immunity, is closely related to depression.

We are currently conducting daily research to clarify the relationship between interleukin-18 and depression, as well as the relationship between psychiatric and neurological disorders and the immune system in more detail, with the aim of clarifying the pathology and applying it to treatment.