Research Info
Research Interest
I am currently exploring the hypothesis that certain RNA modifications may not serve as classical binary switches, but rather as modulatory ‘dials’ that fine-tune translation in response to environmental and cellular conditions. This concept, which may reflect a deeper evolutionary logic, is under active investigation and discussion.
Looking for collaborators !!
＜主な研究テーマ＞
【RNA修飾酵素によるがん制御機構の解明】
がんの浸潤・転移は、上皮間葉転換（EMT）と呼ばれる細胞形質の変化を伴い、その制御機構の解明は創薬の重要課題となっています。また、がん幹細胞はがんの不均一性を形づくり、薬剤耐性化に寄与する重要な概念です。
近年、mRNAに加えられる化学修飾（エピトランスクリプトーム）が、遺伝子発現や翻訳効率に影響し、がんの進展に関与することが報告されています。しかし、EMTやがん幹細胞とRNA修飾の直接的な関連は未だ明らかでなく、その実体解明が求められています。mRNA修飾を担う修飾酵素を網羅的に探索し、その中でもがんの浸潤転移に関与する分子に興味を持って、分子生物学、生化学、臨床的な視点から研究を進めています。また、このRNA修飾の時空間的な推移を可視化する方法の確立を目指しています。
Cancer Regulation by Novel mRNA-modifying Enzymes
Cancer invasion and metastasis are accompanied by changes in cellular traits called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms is an important issue in drug discovery. Recently, it has been reported that chemical modifications (epitranscriptome) added to mRNA affect gene expression and translation efficiency, and are involved in cancer progression. However, the direct relationship between EMT and RNA modification is still unclear, and its substance needs to be clarified.We are conducting a comprehensive search for modification enzymes responsible for mRNA modification and are interested in molecules involved in invasive metastasis of cancer from molecular biology, biochemistry, and clinical perspectives. We also aim to establish a method to visualize the spatio-temporal transition of these RNA modifications.
【極限環境におけるRNA修飾の保存性と機能解析 (Exploratory Project) 】
RNA修飾は、翻訳効率・局在・安定性を調節する「第4の遺伝情報層」として注目されています。本プロジェクトでは、極限環境（微小重力、低温、高放射線など）におけるRNA修飾の保存性と可塑性を解析します。RNA修飾の生命適応機構や医学を超えた分野横断的な研究を目指しています。
RNA modifications under extreme environments (Exploratory Project)
In addition to cancer research, I am also interested in the roles of RNA modifications in extreme environments such as outer space or meteorites. This emerging line of investigation connects molecular biology with astrobiology, aiming to explore how RNA chemical modifications might contribute to the stability and evolution of life beyond Earth.