Staff
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ProfessorAkira KitanakaAkira Kitanaka
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Associate ProfessorTakayuki TsujiokaTakayuki Tsujioka
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Assistant ProfessorShinichiro SuemoriShinichiro Suemori
Our group has been involved in the study of normal and malignant hematopoiesis, including the normal blood cell differentiation/activation and leukemogenesis. Our aim is to integrate laboratory/experimental hematology and clinical hematology.
We have particular interests in the basic and clinical research of the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). MDS are acquired hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by dysplastic features of blood cells, irreversible therapy-resistant cytopenias and preleukemic states. In addition to the risk of transformation to the acute myeloid leukemia, most patients suffer from the bone marrow failure owing to ineffective hematopoiesis.
In our lab, molecular and cellular studies have been performed by the use of unique human myeloid cell lines that we established from the bone marrow of a patient with MDS, designated as MDS92 cell line and its immature blastic subline MDS-L. Both MDS92 and MDS-L cells probably have genetic instability and have generated several daughter cell lines which show reduced maturation. MDS92, MDS-L and most of daughter cell lines proliferate in the presence of IL-3, but an IL-3-independent subline has recently been separated. We have confirmed that accumulated gene mutations were involved in the establishment of MDS-derived cell lines and progression to AML phenotypes. This series of cell lines will be a useful tool as an in vitro model for leukemic evolution of MDS.
We are also continuously involved in the research and education in the area of laboratory hematology, particularly in standardization of several criteria on blood cell morphology and hematological diagnostics.