2026 Kouji Matsushima: Immunology Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Immunology	155	105	99	8	8	742	91761
Medicine	155	967	889	15	15	749	91824

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Immunology in Japan Leader Award
2025 - Research.com Immunology in Japan Leader Award
2023 - Research.com Immunology in Japan Leader Award
2023 - Research.com Medicine in Japan Leader Award
2022 - Research.com Immunology in Japan Leader Award

Overview

Kouji Matsushima is affiliated with Tokyo University of Science in Japan, focusing primarily on research in medicine, immunology, and molecular biology. Their scientific output encompasses a broad range of studies within immunology and microbiology as well as oncology and infectious diseases.

Their work covers several significant topics, including:

Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
CAR-T cell therapy research
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
Immune Cell Function and Interaction
T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Immune cells in cancer
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research

Matsushima has contributed to multiple frequent publication venues, demonstrating continued engagement with respected platforms in their fields of study. These venues include:

Nature Communications
IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology CITE
The Journal of Immunology
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Proceedings for Annual Meeting of The Japanese Pharmacological Society

Recent publications highlight the focus on cytokines, cancer biology, and immune system regulation. Notable papers authored or coauthored by Matsushima include:

Interleukin-8: An evolving chemokine, 2022, Cytokine
Generation of a p16 Reporter Mouse and Its Use to Characterize and Target p16high Cells In Vivo, 2020, Cell Metabolism
Interleukin-11-expressing fibroblasts have a unique gene signature correlated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer, 2021, Nature Communications
Macrophages in lung fibrosis, 2021, International Immunology
Targeting FROUNT with disulfiram suppresses macrophage accumulation and its tumor-promoting properties, 2020, Nature Communications

The scientist collaborates frequently with a group of co-authors, with whom several publications have been produced. Frequent collaborators include:

Shigeyuki Shichino
Satoshi Ueha
Hiroyasu Aoki
Yuya Terashima
Noriko Ouji-Sageshima

The breadth of research topics and frequent publication in recognized journals suggest active involvement in advancing the understanding of immune mechanisms, cancer therapies, and cellular biology. The integration of experimental model development, such as the use of reporter mice, indicates expertise in both molecular techniques and translational approaches.

Best Publications

Treg induction by a rationally selected mixture of Clostridia strains from the human microbiota

Koji Atarashi;Takeshi Tanoue;Kenshiro Oshima;Wataru Suda

3231
Citations
International Union of Pharmacology. XXII. Nomenclature for Chemokine Receptors

Philip M. Murphy;Marco Baggiolini;Israel F. Charo;Caroline A. Hébert

2506
Citations
Properties of the Novel Proinflammatory Supergene "Intercrine" Cytokine Family

J. J. Oppenheim;C. O. C. Zachariae;N. Mukaida;K. Matsushima

2471
Citations
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is essential for vascularization of the gastrointestinal tract.

Kazunobu Tachibana;Seiichi Hirota;Hisashi Iizasa;Hisahiro Yoshida

1936
Citations
There is more than one interleukin 1.

Joost J. Oppenheim;Elizabeth J. Kovacs;Kouji Matsushima;Scott K. Durum

1648
Citations
Molecular cloning of a human monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (MDNCF) and the induction of MDNCF mRNA by interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor.

Kouji Matsushima;Kazuhiro Morishita;Teizo Yoshimura;Sukadev Lavu

1532
Citations
Essential involvement of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in acute inflammation.

Akihisa Harada;Nobuaki Sekido;Tohru Akahoshi;Tohru Akahoshi;Takashi Wada

1452
Citations
Purification of a human monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor that has peptide sequence similarity to other host defense cytokines

Teizo Yoshimura;Kouji Matsushima;Shuji Tanaka;Elizabeth A. Robinson

1356
Citations
The neutrophil-activating protein (NAP-1) is also chemotactic for T lymphocytes.

Christian Grønhøj Larsen;Arthur O. Anderson;Ettore Appella;Joost J. Oppenheim

1323
Citations
The medaka draft genome and insights into vertebrate genome evolution

Masahiro Kasahara;Kiyoshi Naruse;Shin Sasaki;Yoichiro Nakatani

1277
Citations
Purification and characterization of a novel monocyte chemotactic and activating factor produced by a human myelomonocytic cell line

K Matsushima;C G Larsen;G C DuBois;J J Oppenheim

1171
Citations
International Union of Pharmacology. LXXXIX. Update on the Extended Family of Chemokine Receptors and Introducing a New Nomenclature for Atypical Chemokine Receptors

Francoise Bachelerie;Adit Ben-Baruch;Amanda M. Burkhardt;Christophe Combadiere

1083
Citations
Selective recruitment of CCR4-bearing Th2 cells toward antigen-presenting cells by the CC chemokines thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and macrophage-derived chemokine

Toshio Imai;Morio Nagira;Shin Takagi;Mayumi Kakizaki

1056
Citations
Significance of macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 in macrophage recruitment, angiogenesis, and survival in human breast cancer.

Takayuki Ueno;Masakazu Toi;Hisashi Saji;Mariko Muta

1020
Citations
Recombinant Human Interferon-inducible Protein 10 Is a Chemoattractant for Human Monocytes and T Lymphocytes and Promotes T Cell Adhesion to Endothelial Cells

Dennis D. Taub;Andrew R. Lloyd;Kevin Conlon;Ji Ming Wang

964
Citations
Interleukin 8 and MCAF: novel inflammatory cytokines inducible by IL 1 and TNF.

Kouji Matsushima;Joost J. Oppenheim

877
Citations
Neutrophil chemotactic factor produced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human blood mononuclear leukocytes: partial characterization and separation from interleukin 1 (IL 1).

Teizo Yoshimura;Kouji Matsushima;Joost J Oppenheim;Edward J Leonard

841
Citations
Prevention of lung reperfusion injury in rabbits by a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-8

Nobuaki Sekido;Naofumi Mukaida;Akihisa Harada;Isao Nakanishi

832
Citations
Genomic structure of the human monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor IL-8.

N Mukaida;M Shiroo;K Matsushima

737
Citations
Molecular mechanism of interleukin-8 gene expression

Naofumi Mukaida;Shu-ichi Okamoto;Yuji Ishikawa;Kouji Matsushima

688
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Naofumi Mukaida Kanazawa University

Shin-ichi Hashimoto Kanazawa University

Joost J. Oppenheim National Institutes of Health

Shuichi Kaneko Kanazawa University

Kazuhiko Yamamoto RIKEN

Koichi Hirai University of Tokyo

Tadashi Kasahara Jichi Medical University

Osamu Yoshie Kindai University

Ettore Appella National Institutes of Health

Kazuhiro Kakimi Kindai University

External Links

Personal website of Kouji Matsushima

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