The expertise of Ekihiro Seki, MD, PhD, lies in immunology, and in clinical and research gastroenterology and hepatology. The research group in his laboratory has expertise in using genetically modified animals and isolating primary cultured liver cells including hepatocytes, Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells.

Recently, his group found that TAK1, an intracellular protein kinase, is a crucial molecule in preventing spontaneous hepatocyte death, liver inflammation, fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis. In addition, the follow-up study showed that hepatic TAK1 regulates autophagy in the development of fatty liver and liver cancer.