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Stem Cell Biology
Research Topic
More than half of the cells in the human body are blood cells. Our laboratory studies blood cells to understand how they are made, how they function, and how they end their cellular life. We are particularly interested in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which can differentiate into all blood cell types. In mammals, HSCs are found in the bone marrow after birth. In the bone marrow, HSCs are maintained in an undifferentiated state by their nearby microenvironment (niche) and can proliferate and differentiate as needed. The niche determines cell fate by regulating the metabolic state of HSCs. HSCs and niches are known to be impaired by various stresses and aging, resulting in various hematologic and non-hematologic diseases. A deeper understanding of HSCs and their niche will clarify the molecular mechanisms behind these diseases and individual aging.
To address these issues, we are analyzing HSC-niche interactions and their regulatory mechanisms using advanced methods such as single-cell analysis, gene editing, real-time metabolic analysis, whole bone marrow analysis, in vivo imaging, and artificial intelligence.
Through these studies, we aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms operating in physiological and pathological HSCs, develop stem cell maintenance, amplification, and navigation technologies leading to regenerative medicine, understand various pathological conditions, and develop therapeutic strategies
Main Staff
| Chief | Keiyo Takubo |
|---|---|
| Staff Scientist | Takayuki Morikawa Shinya Fujita Shintaro Watanuki Yuriko Sorimachi |
| Lab Manager | Miho Haraguchi Shinpei Tamaki |
| Graduate Student | Hikari Sudo (Institute of Science Tokyo) Norihide Tarui (Waseda University) |
| Visiting Research Fellow | Hiroshi Kobayashi (Tohoku University) Daiki Karigane (Institute of Science Tokyo) Hidenori Kasahara (Osaka University) Kohei Shiroshita (SR-TIGET) Yasuaki Kabe (Kochi University) |
