FACULTY RESEARCH ACTIVITY 2014

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52Bioscience and BiotechnologyUnderstanding the nature of stem cells and controlling their fateDivision of Applied BiologyThe spermatogenic potential of GS cells is expected to nd application not only in treating male infertility, but also in producing superior livestock. In addition, mGS cells are expected to serve as another source of pluripotent stem cells such as iPS cells. In this context, GS cells might be called multipotent stem cells with the potential to contribute to a wide range of elds.Outlook for researchThe value of the market associated with regenerative medicine is expected to grow to 1 trillion yen in 2020 (according to statistics from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). It is my hope that our future colleagues will be able to play a remarkable role in growth industries, including in regenerative medicine.Outlook for students after graduationThe pluripotency potential of GS cells. Left: mGS cells de-dierentiated (rejuvenated) from GS cells. mGS cells possess pluripotency like iPS cells. Right: mGS can contribute to the formation of “chimera mice.” mGS-derived tissue in the chimaera mice exhibited GFP expression.GS cells. Left: Mouse GS cells growing in vitro. Center: Spermatogenesis in the testis transplanted with GS cells expressing green uorescent protein (GFP). Right: Mouse ospring produced from sperm derived from GS cells expressing GFP. The ospring also exhibited green uorescence under UV light (highlighted with).Seiji TakashimaTenure-track Assistant ProfessorAfter receiving a doctorate (in engineering) from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Assistant Professor Takashima worked as a research fellow at the University of Tokyo before coming Kyoto University as an assistant professor. His areas of research are regenerative medicine and stem cell biology.Regenerative medicine using iPS cells is expected to serve as a novel approach for curing disease. My lab is focusing on germline stem (GS) cells, tissue-specific stem cells in testis. Although GS cells have already committed to germ cell lineage, they also have pluripotency potential and often de-differentiate into multipotent GS (mGS) cells that possess pluripotency like iPS cells. The goal of our research is to understand the unique nature of GS/mGS cells and control their fate.

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