Open University (UK)

PhD degree at Stowers Institute for Medical Research

Ryohichi Sugimura

Stowers Institute for Medical Research
An Affiliated Research Centre of the Open University

Investigating the Principle of our Homeostasis — Understanding how homeostasis is maintained in blood-producing cells

After obtaining his Bachelors degree and MD at Osaka University Medical School in Japan in 2008, Ryohichi Sugimura looked internationally for an opportunity to pursue graduate worked in the scientific field. With a strong background in medicine and biology, Ryohichi started his Ph.D. program in April 2008 in Dr. Linheng Li’s laboratory at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in collaboration with The Open University.

During medical school, Ryohichi had enthusiastically obtained scientific training and knowledge as well as medical training. He investigated the development of pancreatic beta cells under Professor Jun-ichi Miyazaki at Osaka University Medical School from 2003 to 2006. After finishing laboratory training with Professor Miyazaki, Ryohichi obtained scientific training under Professor Shin-ichi Nishikawa, investigating the quiescence of melanocyte stem cells at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in 2006. During his final summer semester of medical school, Ryohichi interned at Dr. Li’s laboratory where he is now conducting his thesis research.

Stem cells, defined both by their ability to self-renew and differentiate into specialized mature cells, and are essential to the maintenance of complex organisms. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) contribute to overall homeostasis by supporting production of hematopoiesis throughout life. Self-renewal of HSCs is essential to respond to the dynamic demands of blood cells. Despite a great deal of study, much remains to be discovered about how HSCs self-renew.

The goal of this research is to understand the mechanism of HSCs self-renewal at the molecular level. Through the history of modern biology, molecular level research has elucidated principles of biological phenomena, such as DNA structure showing how life is reproduced. The research group has established a molecular level description of how the number of HSCs and intestinal stem cells (ISCs) are regulated. Genetic engineering, biochemical approaches, novel imaging methods and in vitro culture of HSCs and ISCs have been used to understand self-renewal of these stem cells.

The target of Ryohichi’s research is the Frizzled genes expressed in HSCs. Frizzled are a family of the receptor molecules of Wnt signaling which regulates self-renewal of stem cells. Therefore, Frizzled genes are hypothesized to regulate self-renewal of HSCs.

To understand how Frizzled controls self-renewal of HSCs, the expression level of Frizzled genes will be manipulated in such cells using genetic engineering. If Frizzled expression is shut off, self-renewal of HSCs should be impaired. In contrast, over expression of Frizzled genes in HSCs should result in activation of HSCs self-renewal.

About the Stowers Institute
Housed in a 600,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility on a 10-acre campus in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research conducts basic research on fundamental processes of cellular life. Through its commitment to collaborative research and the use of cutting-edge technology, the Institute seeks more effective means of preventing and curing disease. The Institute was founded by Jim and Virginia Stowers, two cancer survivors who have created combined endowments of $2 billion in support of basic research of the highest quality.