Welcome
Welcome to the Saito laboratory at the Keck School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases at the University of Southern California. We are broadly interested in understanding the molecular immuno-pathology and cell biology of liver diseases. Our research team leverages insights from liver cell biology, nutritionology, pharmacology, signaling, bio-engineering, and genetics to develop innovative and effective therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from end-stage liver diseases.
Mission
The primary role of physician-scientists is to identify unmet clinical needs and explore their pathophysiologies at the molecular and cellular biology levels, with the ultimate goal of improving clinical practice thorough the establishment of highly effective preventative or therapeutic strategies. Dr. Saito specializes in providing medical care for patients who are suffering from liver disease, which stimulates our scientific interest and serves as the foundation for our enthusiasm and dedication to uncovering previously unrecognized processes behind liver disorders.
Current Our Focus
Elucidating the host response to hepatitis viruses (HBV, HDV, and HCV)
Determining the role of peritoneal macrophage in Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP)
Understanding the hepatocellular response to metabolic insults occuring in Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD) and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Defining the significance of hepatic microenvironment necessary for the homeostatic cell fate maintenance of hepatocyte and its alterations in liver disorders