In 2006, Shinya Yamanaka discovered that adult somatic cells can be reprogrammed into an embryonic-like pluripotent state by delivering transcription factors. These reprogrammed cells, known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, have the potential to develop into every cell type in the body and are invaluable tools for disease modeling, drug screening, and cell therapy. iPS cells also provide an unprecedented opportunity for discovery in life science, and in Yamanaka’s lab today, researchers continue to use them to investigate the mechanisms for cell fate determination, the reprogramming process, and pluripotency.

Disease Areas

Genetic Diseases
Intractable and Rare diseases

Areas of Expertise

Cellular Reprogramming
Post-transcriptional Regulation
Stem Cells and iPS Cells
Working in the Yamanaka lab

Lab Focus

Investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie cellular reprogramming by defined factors.
Determining the mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation and how they influence pluripotency and cell fate.
Establishing an innovative approach to study diseases by in-depth analysis of pluripotent stem cells.

Research Impact

Work from Yamanaka’s lab has demonstrated that a few transcription factors in combination can reprogram cell fate from somatic lineages back to a pluripotent state. This groundbreaking work established the field of iPS cell technology, and hundreds of scientists are now trying to bring the technology to patients. Continuing efforts in Yamanaka’s lab to elucidate the mechanisms underlying pluripotency and reprogramming revealed that beyond the action of transcription factors, post-transcriptional regulation is also critical for cell fate determination. For example, they demonstrated that NAT1 (eIF4G2), a translation initiation factor, plays multiple roles in human stem cells depending on differentiation status. Their research addresses complex interactions between transcriptional control and post-transcriptional regulation, and contributes to innovative therapeutic options for patients including gene and cell therapies.

 

Lab Members

Carlos Benitez, Jr
Research Associate II
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Thieu Bleu, MS
Research Associate III
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Julia Draper, MS
Research Associate III
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Radia Jamee, MSE
Research Associate II
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Aye Khaine
Research Associate II
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Akira Kunitomi, MD, PhD
Staff Research Scientist I
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Haruko Kunitomi, MD, PhD
Scientist
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Gay Lancero
Senior Research Associate
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Eugenea Raychaudhuri
Research Associate II
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Florence Thwe
Student Intern
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Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, MD
Visiting Postdoc
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Kaho Washizu
Visiting Researcher
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Mie Yamanaka
Visiting Researcher
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