About JSIAD

Greeting from President

President Hirokazu Kanegane
Japanese Society for Immunodeficiency and Autoinflammatory Diseases

I am Hirokazu Kanegane, Institute of Science Tokyo, and I have been appointed as the third President of Japanese Society for Immunodeficiency and Autoinflammatory Diseases. Although our society was established less than 10 years ago in 2017, it has grown to have more than 500 members. I believe this is due to the outstanding centripetal force and leadership of former Presidents Toshio Heike and Tomohiro Morio.

Target diseases of our society are primary immunodeficiency diseases and autoinflammatory diseases, but since they encompass not only infectious and autoinflammatory diseases but also autoimmune diseases, malignant tumors, allergies, and a wide range of other diseases, it is now often referred to as inborn errors of immunity (IEI). The causative gene has been identified in most IEIs, and we are now in the era of considering IEI on a genetic basis. International Union of Immunological Societies has reported 555 diseases in its 2024 classification. In Japan, the health insurance covers the cost of genetic testing as a panel test for major IEIs, and many facilities are now able to diagnose IEI. However, clinical and research progress in IEI has been remarkable, and it has become difficult for even specialists to keep up with the progress. Our society will continue its efforts to disseminate knowledge of IEI and to ensure that all patients receive appropriate treatment.

Our society has conducted and will continue to conduct many activities, but there are three activities that we would like to further promote in the future. The first is epidemiological research. In Japan, there is a disease registry called PIDJ2, which is linked to the Intractable Disease Platform, but I believe it is still insufficient. We do not have a system that can promptly and accurately report the number of diseases and prognoses, as is the case with overseas databases. I believe that the enhancement of these databases will lead to the discovery of new diseases and the development of new treatment methods. The second is the promotion of research and educational activities. In terms of research, there have been reports of novel IEIs from Japan, but I believe that there are still IEI that have not been identified yet. In addition, clinical research with a higher level of evidence is desired through the promotion of nationwide surveys and international joint research. In terms of educational activities, it is necessary to promote interest in IEIs among young physicians not only through educational content but also through webinars, schools, and other activities, and to nurture the next generation of leaders with a view to the future of our society. I feel that we need to educate young physicians not only in pediatrics, but also in internal medicine and other medical departments. Third, we need to improve the transitional care system. In fact, half of all patients are adults, and many are diagnosed for the first time as adults. We believe it is the mission of our society to establish a medical system that will prevent these patients from becoming refugees from getting treatment.

IEI is not a rare disease. We hope that not only clinicians but also basic researchers who are interested in IEIs will join our society and learn from each other.

Objectives

Promoting progress of diagnosis, treatment, and research on immunodeficiency and autoinflammatory diseases, and sharing information on each

Main Activities

(1) Holding academic conferences, seminars, and lectures
(2) Editing and publishing academic journals and books
(3) Research and study the realm of immunodeficiency and autoinflammatory diseases
(4) Leading education and training in the realm of immunodeficiency and autoinflammatory diseases
(5) Public awareness and information-sharing activities
(6) Coordinating with related agencies and academic societies in Japan and overseas
(7) Other activities necessary for achieving the goals of this society

Established Date: June 22, 2017

Board of Directors

Chairman of the Board

Hirokazu Kanegane (Institute of Science Tokyo)

Vice-Chairman of the Board

Taizo Wada (Kanazawa University)
Satoshi Okada (Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences)

General Affairs Director

Hidenori Ohnishi (Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine)

Directors

Masataka Ishimura (Kyushu University)
Hiroaki Ida (Kurume University School of Medicine)
Norimitsu Inoue (Wakayama Medical University)
Kohsuke Imai (National Defense Medical College)
Masahiro Ueki (Hokkaido University)
Mariko Eguchi (Ehime University)
Nobuo Kanazawa (Hyogo Medical University)
Toshinao Kawai (National Center for Child Health and Development)
Naotomo Kambe (Kyoto University)
Megumu Saito (Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University)
Yoji Sasahara (Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine)
Sanami Takada (Institute of Science Tokyo)
Hidetoshi Takada (University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Medicine)
Ryuta Nishikomori (Kurume University School of Medicine)
Keishi Fujio (Tokyo University)
Junya Masumoto (Ehime University)
Yoko Mizoguchi (Hiroshima University)
Takako Miyamae (Tokyo Women’s Medical University)
Hideki Muramatsu (Nagoya University)
Shinsuke Yasuda (Institute of Science Tokyo)
Takahiro Yasumi (Kyoto University)

Auditors

Takahiko Horiuchi (Fukuoka City Hospital)
Masafumi Onodera (National Center for Child Health and Development)
Tomohiro Morio (Institute of Science Tokyo)