PROJECTS
Bone regeneration and reconstruction of jawbone and alveolar bone lost due to oral cancer or periodontal disease are important in the field of dentistry. As is common with many diseases, there are patients who cannot be saved because the biology of the disease is not fully understood. Basic research has the power to resolve this clinical limitation. Our research contributes to the development of medical and dental science.
Skeletal Stem Cells (SSCs) reside in bone and are known for their ability to both proliferate on their own (self-renewal) and differentiate into various cell types, including chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and adipocytes (multipotency). Recently, several groups, including ours, have demonstrated that SSCs are present in the growth plate cartilage, periosteum, and endosteum of long bones in different developmental stages. We are now investigating the mechanisms related to SSCs.
・Nature 563(7730):254-258, 2018
・Nature Communications 13(1):7319, 2022
・Nature Communications 14(1):2383, 2023
SSCs in bone marrow have long been considered to be at the pinnacle of the differentiation stream during bone regeneration and to differentiate in one direction to cause bone regeneration as the absolute cell of origin. However, no one has ever pointed out the location of SSCs precisely. We have discovered a completely new bone regeneration mechanism that terminally differentiated bone marrow stromal cells de-differentiated and acquire stem cell-like properties (cellular plasticity), and then re-differentiated into osteoblasts during bone regeneration. Our current challenge is investigating how SSCs and other cell types orchestrate to regenerate the bone.
・Nature Communications 11(1):332, 2020
・Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 36(6):1145-1158, 2021
・Nature Communications 14(1):2383, 2023
SSCs play an important role in cancer progression. However, without a precise understanding of SSCs themselves, the full picture cannot be elucidated. We have previously demonstrated that SSCs residing in the endosteum of bone marrow are involved as the “seed” in the development and progression of osteosarcoma, a cancer that commonly occurs in children. We are currently working to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
・Nature Communications 14(1):2383, 2023
We promote the interdisciplinary approach from various perspectives, such as Basic x Clinical, Medical x Dental, Life Science x Computer Science, Biology x Chemistry/Engineering, and Mechanism x Drug Discovery/Medical Materials, to create innovations.
Department of Skeletal Development and Regenerative Biology,
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
3F Building for Basic Dental Science,
1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, JAPAN
Phone: +81-95-819-7633 fax: +81-95-819-7633
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