Laboratory for Organogenesis and Neurogenesis

Vertebrate embryogenesis is a complicated process that involves a number of cell-cell interactions in emrbyonic tissues. This group in focusing on molecular mechnisms underlying cell-cell interaction (inductive process) in organogenesis of complex organs such as brain. Also, we attempt to establish scientific bases for therapeutic application of in vitro differentiation systems.

Research Subjects

• Molecular mechanisms of fine positional information controlling brain development
• Molecular analysis on brain pattern formation by using ES cells
• Selective in vitro differentiation of cells and tissues for therapeutic application

Publications

1. Nakano, T., Ando, S., Takata, N., Kawada, M., Muguruma, K., Sekiguchi, K., Saito, K., Yonemura, S., Eiraku, M., & Sasai, Y.:
   "Self-Formation of Optic Cups and Storable Stratified Neural Retina from Human ESCs"
   Cell Stem Cell 10.771-785 (2012)
2. Suga, H., Kadoshima, T., Minaguchi, M., Ohgushi, M., Soen, M.,Nakano, T., Takata, N., Wataya, T., Muguruma, K., Miyoshi, H., Yonemura, S., Oiso, Y. & Sasai, Y.:
   "Self-formation of functional adeno-hypophysis in three-dimensional culture."
   Nature 480, 57–62 (2011)
3. Eiraku, M., Takata, N., Ishibashi, H., Kawada, M., Sakakura, E., Okuda, S., Sekiguchi, K., Adachi, T. and Sasai, Y.:
   "Self-organizing optic-cup morphogenesis in three-dimensional culture."
   Nature 472, 51-56 .(2011)
4. Kamiya, D., Banno, S., Sasai, N., Ohgushi, M., Watanabe, K., Kawada, M., Yakura, R., Jakt , L.M., Nishikawa, S. and Sasai. Y.:
   "Intrinsic transition of ES cell differentiation into neural progenitors."
   Nature 470, 503-509 (2011)
5. Muguruma, K., Nishiyama, A., Ono, Y., Miyawaki, H., Mizuhara, E., Hori, S., Kakizuka, A., Obata, K., Yanagawa, Y., Hirano, T., Sasai, Y.:
   "Ontogeny-recapitulating generation and tissue integration of ES cell-derived Purkinje cells."
   Nature Neuroscience 13, 1171-1181 (2010).