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Takayuki ASAHARA M. D., Ph. D.
The emerging field of stem cell-based therapy continues to receive attention as one of the most promising frontiers of medical science. Building on previous work in which we identified bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and demonstrated their role in the generation of new blood vessels, our lab now seeks to characterize adult stem and progenitor cells with even greater differentiative potential, and simultaneously to translate that research into clinically relevant advances.
Our previous series of studies into endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and the preliminary data from investigations into post-natal pluripotent stem cells conducted by our lab challenge the conventional notion that postnatal neovascularization occurs exclusively as the result of sprouts derived from pre-existing, fully differentiated endothelial cells, a process known as angiogenesis. Our protocols were designed with the goal of determining the extent to which blood vessels in the adult derived at least in part from endothelial stem/progenitor cells, i.e., vasculogenesis, contribute to postnatal neovascularization.
Our lab also investigates the interactive mechanisms between vasculogenesis and organ regeneration. The elucidation of vasculogenetic signals in organ regeneration will contribute broadly to therapeutic application in the treatment of human diseases. These studies are intended to translate basic research findings into clinically significant knowledge. We hope that our preliminary work will elucidate the specific circumstances and mechanisms responsible for vascular development in organogenesis.
