Outline Director's Room Pathology Cell Biology Biochemistry Experimental Pathology Cancer Biology Carcinogenesis Genetic Diagnosis Protein Engineering Epigenetic Carcinogenesis Cancer Genomics Physics Chemotherapy

Our research is focused on molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis, using molecular biological techniques. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) is a potent growth inhibitor for many cells, and perturbations of TGF-ß signaling result in progression of various cancers. We are interested in the signaling mechanisms of the TGF-ß superfamily, including TGF-ß and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and studying how TGF-ß signals regulate progression of various cancers, e.g. colorectal cancer. We are also interested in the regenerative medicine. Signals induced by TGF-ß and BMPs play important roles in the development and homeostasis of bone and cartilage. We have recently started to investigate the mechanisms of differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Using an in vitro system, we are trying to regulate the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts and chondroblasts. The results will be useful for the application of regenerative medicine (1) Functional characterization of I-Smads in TGF-ß superfamily signaling (2) Regulation of TGF-ß superfamily signaling by ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (3) Transcriptional regulation of TGF-ß superfamily signaling and cancer, cancer metastasis (4) TGF-ß superfamily signaling and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells Chief Takeshi Imamura Staff Scientist Yasumichi Inoue Postdoctoral Scientist Atsuhiko Hikita Attending Scientist Keiji Miyazawa, Masao Saitoh Attending Scientist Hirofumi Inoue, Tomomasa Shimanuki, Koji Yoshida Staff Technician Noriko Kaneniwa Associate Staff Technician Yasufumi Yuuki, Aki Hanyu Technician Takeshi Yamada Management Assistant Takako Kimura