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

Recent advances in human genetics have made it possible to identify genes responsible for cancer predisposition. The genes frequently mutated in human tumors have also been identified. In Cell Biology division, to elucidate molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis, we have been analyzing functions of these cancer-related genes in the cells and tissues where carcinogenesis should occur. It occasionally resulted in the establishment of animal models for human carcinogenesis. Elucidation of biological significances of signaling pathways in which these genes are implicated is also one of our goals. Our activities can be summarized as follows. (1) Molecular mechanisms and biological significances of Wnt signaling cascade (2) Involvement Wnt signaling in tumorigenesis (3) Functional roles of cancer-related genes in tumorigenesis (4) Patched1 gene function and the establishment of mouse model for human tumors (5) Biological significance of class III POU transcription factors in mammalian development Member and Chief Tetsuo Noda, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Member Ryoji Yao, Ph.D. Associate Katsuyuki Yaginuma, Ph.D. Attending Associate Kazuki Kumada, Ph.D., Mika Ikeda, Ph.D., Mizuho Sakahara Visiting Fellow Masaki Ito, M.Sc., Yuriko Saiki, M.D., Ph.D. ,Shunji Yokokura, M.D., Masatatsu Yamamoto, M.Sc.