
Researchers at The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo play a global role in understanding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and share their mission of contributing to saving the lives of people.
Publications
PLATINUM STREET TIMES:Public relation magazine of IMSUT
The special feature : Research on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. *only in Japanese
Tansei vol.41 2020.09:UTokyo's Official Magazine
*only in Japanese
Press Releases (Latest three releases)

March 15, 2023
New Study Shows SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 Variant is Highly Transmissible and Infectious
Representative : Professor SATO Kei at the Division of Systems Virology
March 7, 2023
Scientists Suggest Guidelines to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Transmission from Deceased Individuals
Representative : Professor KAWAOKA Yoshihiro at the Division of Virology
August 23, 2022
Wastewater viral loads can provide advance warning of COVID-19 outbreaks
Joint Research with Hokkaido University and etc.:Professor IMOTO Seiya at the Division of Health Medical Intelligence
Scientific Papers (Latest three papers)
Efficacy of antivirals and mRNA vaccination against an XBF clinical isolateThe Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific (online) May 11, 2023
doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100777
Ryuta Uraki*, Mutsumi Ito*, Maki Kiso*, Seiya Yamayoshi, Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto, Yuko Sakai-Tagawa, Masaki Imai, Michiko Koga, Shinya Yamamoto, Eisuke Adachi, Makoto Saito, Takeya Tsutsumi, Amato Otani, Yukie Kashima, Tetsuhiro Kikuchi, James Theiler, Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi, Yutaka Suzuki, Bette Korber, and Yoshihiro Kawaoka¶
*:First author
¶:Corresponding author
Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant derived from recombination of two Omicron subvariants
Nature Communications (online) May 16, 2023
doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38435-3
Tomokazu Tamura#, Jumpei Ito#, Keiya Uriu#, Jiri Zahradnik#, Izumi Kida#, Yuki Anraku#, Hesham Nasser#, Maya Shofa#, Yoshitaka Oda#, Spyros Lytras#, Naganori Nao, Yukari Itakura, Sayaka Deguchi, Rigel Suzuki, Lei Wang, MST Monira Begum, Shunsuke Kita, Hisano Yajima, Jiei Sasaki, Kaori Sasaki-Tabata, Ryo Shimizu, Masumi Tsuda, Yusuke Kosugi, Shigeru Fujita, Lin Pan, Daniel Sauter, Kumiko Yoshimatsu, Saori Suzuki, Hiroyuki Asakura, Mami Nagashima, Kenji Sadamasu, Kazuhisa Yoshimura, Yuki Yamamoto, Tetsuharu Nagamoto, Gideon Schreiber, Katsumi Maenaka, The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium, Takao Hashiguchi, Terumasa Ikeda, Takasuke Fukuhara, Akatsuki Saito, Shinya Tanaka*, Keita Matsuno*, Kazuo Takayama* & Kei Sato*
(#Equal contribution; *Corresponding author)
Convergent evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants leading to the emergence of BQ.1.1 variant
Nature Communications (online) May 11, 2023
doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38188-z
Jumpei Ito#, Rigel Suzuki#, Keiya Uriu#, Yukari Itakura#, Jiri Zahradnik#, Kanako Terakado Kimura#, Sayaka Deguchi#, Lei Wang#, Spyros Lytras#, Tomokazu Tamura, Izumi Kida, Hesham Nasser, Maya Shofa, Mst Monira Begum, Masumi Tsuda, Yoshitaka Oda, Tateki Suzuki, Jiei Sasaki, Kaori Sasaki-Tabata, Shigeru Fujita, Kumiko Yoshimatsu, Hayato Ito, Naganori Nao, Hiroyuki Asakura, Mami Nagashima, Kenji Sadamasu, Kazuhisa Yoshimura, Yuki Yamamoto, Tetsuharu Nagamoto, Jin Kuramochi, Gideon Schreiber, The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium, Akatsuki Saito, Keita Matsuno, Kazuo Takayama, Takao Hashiguchi*, Shinya Tanaka*, Takasuke Fukuhara*, Terumasa Ikeda* & Kei Sato*
(#Equal contribution; *Corresponding author)
Research Support Information
AMED Research Projects on COVID-19https://www.amed.go.jp/en/program/list/11/02/002_covid-19.html
■Diagnosis
FY2020
Project Title:Precision and portable diagnostics for viruses with new genome editing technology
Principal Investigator:Senior Assistant Professor YOSHIMI Kazuto at the Division of Animal Genetics
■Therapeutics
FY2020
Project Title:Studies to Control Emerging, Re-emerging and Imported Infectious Diseases to Be Conducted in International Collaboration Sites in China
Principal Investigator:Professor KAWAGUCHI Yasushi at the Research Center for Asian Infectious Diseases
FY2020
Project Title:Establishment of the antibody therapy against novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Principal Investigator:Professor KAWAOKA Yoshihiro at the Division of Virology
■Vaccine
FY2019
Project Title:Study on the control of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
Principal Investigator:Professor KAWAOKA Yoshihiro at the Division of Virology
FY2020
Project Title:Development of a live attenuated vaccine against COVID-19
Principal Investigator:Professor KAWAOKA Yoshihiro at the Division of Virology
FY2020
Project Title:Development of a live attenuated vaccine against COVID-19 II
Principal Investigator:Professor KAWAOKA Yoshihiro at the Division of Virology
■Scientific Research on COVID-19
FY2020
Project Title:Investigation of the biological principle of the pathogenicity and cross-species transmission of emerging virus infections including SARS-CoV-2
Principal Investigator:Associate Professor SATO Kei at the Division of Systems Virology
FY2020
Project Title:Antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 infection and serosurveillance
Principal Investigator:Project Associate Professor YAMAYOSHI Seiya at Research Center for Asian Infectious Diseases