Researcher's Profile

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells and human cancer stem cells share similar characteristics. For example,
1) they are resistant to anti-cancer drugs,
2) they have unlimited proliferative potential, and
3) they highly express pluripotent markers.

I have been involved in research using human ES/iPS cells to investigate the mechanisms of anti-cancer drug resistance. During this research, I happenstantially discovered that human ES/iPS cells undergo abnormal differentiation when treated with anti-cancer drugs. As I explored the mechanism behind this abnormal differentiation, I identified a previously uncharacterized human-specific lncRNA that induces this abnormal differentiation. Furthermore, I was able to demonstrate that this lncRNA plays a role in the acquisition of anti-cancer drug resistance (Nature comm, in press).

In addition to this study, I have long been engaged in research on how gene expression is activated in response to physiological signals. Specifically, I elucidated how bile acids contribute to glucose metabolism (JBC, 279(22):23158, 2004; IJMM, 19(5):751, 2007), how oxidative stress-induced arginine methylation of proteins directly blocks insulin signaling (Molecular Cell, 32(2):221, 2008; PNAS, 108(15):6085, 2011; Cell Metabolism, 13(5):505, 2011), and the role of an uncharacterized domain frequently mutated in leukemia (JB, 161(4):327, 2017). Building on these biochemical, molecular biology, and epigenetic approaches, I aim to develop nucleic acid-based drug seeds targeting intractable and therapy-resistant cancers.