Innovative Research for Important Problems

Traditionally, cultured cell lines established from cancer tissues have played a key role in human disease research. These cells, which can be propagated in plastic containers, are invaluable for a wide range of biochemical and molecular biological experiments. They have contributed significantly to our understanding of disease mechanisms and to the development of therapeutic drugs. However, because cultured cells are maintained long-term in artificial conditions that differ from the human body, their behavior may not fully reflect that of natural human cells. Furthermore, actual human tissues are composed of diverse cell types and are embedded in complex extracellular structures—features that cannot be replicated in vitro. For this reason, particularly in tissues where cell proliferation is limited, we still lack a clear understanding of how cellular activity is regulated under both healthy and disease conditions. Our research group, in collaboration with the Tsukuba Human Tissue Biobank Center and the Department of Pathology, directly analyzes tissue samples obtained from patients. Through this approach, we aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of human diseases and contribute to the development of effective treatments.

Why has research using such valuable clinical samples been limited until now? One major reason is the need for well-established clinical tissue biobanks. Without properly managed biobanks and expert pathological diagnoses, research using clinical samples cannot be conducted. At the University of Tsukuba Hospital, a biobank has been established specifically for managing clinical research specimens. Another critical factor is analytical technology. Our group has developed genomic analysis techniques that allow us to examine tiny tissue fragments—barely visible under a microscope. These techniques enable us to investigate the activity of individual cells within pathological tissues.

Advanced Technology Development through Mouse Model Analysis

Mouse models are important in the development of genomic technologies. In basic research, the demand for greater detail and precision frequently leads to the refinement of existing analytical methods and the emergence of entirely new approaches. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. Moreover, laboratory mice are genetically homogeneous and can be raised under standardized conditions, which allows us to minimize experimental variability unrelated to genetics. In contrast, human clinical samples are highly variable due to differences in disease progression, genetic background, and subtle distinctions in sample collection. Additional, unforeseen factors may also affect patient cohorts and data sets. For this reason, we believe that interpreting genomic and epigenomic data from clinical samples requires the analytical perspective gained through repeated experimentation with mouse models. This experience helps us determine meaningful comparisons and ultimately identify biologically significant phenomena.

Space Life Science: Toward the Expansion of Humanity into Space

The high-precision techniques we have developed to extract top-quality genomic and epigenomic data from critical biological samples are also applicable to a wide range of other research areas. Among them, space life science — spearheaded by JAXA and based in Tsukuba Science City — has become one of our group’s key research domains. We contribute to a variety of collaborative projects, including clinical studies involving astronauts aboard the International Space Station, and experiments with mice raised in space. Our group is the principal investigator on the following three major themes.

JSPS Funding "Life in Space: the Exploration of Environmental Responses and Robustness of Biological Systems to Predict the Future of Life on and beyond Earth" (FY2025-2029) https://www.life-in-space.org/

JAXA Flagship Mission "Astronaut Digital Twins: the Application of iPS Cells and Artificial Intelligence for Personalized Space Medicine" (Astronaut Digital Twins)

2014 International Life Sciences Research Announcements "Genome and Epigenome Analysis of Circulating Nucleic Acid-based Liquid Biopsy" (Cell-Free Epigenome)