Assoc. Prof. Yohei Hirai
Assist. Prof. Shinya Aono
Stem cell field has recently progressed rapidly and the transplantation of stem cell derivatives into wound or damaged
tissues has come to public attention with keen interest. To realize the feasibility of transplantation, however, we should
take into account that epithelial cells perform their physiological functions in well organized three-dimensional structures,
where cells establish proper cellular polarity and cell-cell junctional complexes that enable cellular cross-talk.
This laboratory was set up in October 2004 to establish molecular mechanisms underlying sophisticated tissue morphogenesis.
In the past two years, we have been focusing on the molecular mechanisms of epimorphin action, in specific
what are the key molecules responsible for such effects as cell-cell adhesion, reconstitution of cytoskeleton, regulation of
cell polarity and cellular mitogenic activity. By use of epimorphin and its related molecules we are going to establish
technologies to control morphogenesis of “functional” tissues composed either of primary cells and differentiated stem cell
derivatives.
Human Embryonic Stem Cell Project
