Stanford University
Showing 71-80 of 134 Results
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Ravi Majeti MD, PhD
Director, Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor and Professor of Medicine (Hematology)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Majeti lab focuses on the molecular/genomic characterization and therapeutic targeting of leukemia stem cells in human hematologic malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our lab uses experimental hematology methods, stem cell assays, genome editing, and bioinformatics to define and investigate drivers of leukemia stem cell behavior. As part of these studies, we have led the development and application of robust xenotransplantation assays for human hematopoietic cells.
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Masashi Miyauchi
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
BioMasashi Miyauchi, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist specializing in hematology, oncology, immunology, and stem cell biology, with over a decade of experience in clinical hematology and oncology. Dr. Miyauchi's academic career commenced at Kyoto University, where he obtained his MD in Medicine. He furthered his expertise with a PhD in Internal Medicine from The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine. Following his comprehensive clinical training and professional appointments at The University of Tokyo Hospital, Dr. Miyauchi embarked on a postdoctoral journey at Stanford University in the Nakauchi lab, starting in July 2019.
Dr. Miyauchi's clinical training is extensive, including a Senior Residency in Internal Medicine and a Clinical Fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at The University of Tokyo Hospital. This period was complemented by his participation in a Cancer Professional Training Plan. After completing his clinical fellowship, Dr. Miyauchi has served in various pivotal roles at The University of Tokyo Hospital and The University of Tokyo. His positions as a clinically-focused Project Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology and Oncology have enabled him to contribute significantly to pioneering research and education for the next wave of medical professionals.
In his PhD research, Dr. Miyauchi specialized in the disease modeling of cancers and cancer stem cells, employing cancer patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). His work with iPSCs notably includes scalable ex vivo manufacturing of human neutrophils. In his postdoctoral research under the guidance of Dr. Hiromitsu Nakauchi in Genetics at Stanford, Dr. Miyauchi has been concentrating on developing a stable hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) expansion system in both mouse and human models. His research is focused on exploring the potential applications of this expansion system, underlining his commitment to advancing the fields of stem cell biology, regenerative medicine and oncology. -
Michelle Monje
Milan Gambhir Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology and Professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery, of Pediatrics, of Pathology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Monje Lab studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms of postnatal neurodevelopment. This includes microenvironmental influences on neural precursor cell fate choice in normal neurodevelopment and in disease states.
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Hiromitsu (Hiro) Nakauchi
Professor of Genetics (Stem Cell)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTranslation of discoveries in basic research into practical medical applications
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Yusuke Nakauchi
Instructor, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsFrom 2005 to 2010, my work as a clinical hematology fellow allowed me to experience first-hand how scientific advances that started in a laboratory can transform patients' lives. While many of my patients were cured of their disease with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, underscoring the importance of anti-tumor immunotherapy in eradicating leukemia, I witnessed face-to-face their suffering from the long-term consequence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This experience was ultimately what drove me to engage in research to discover novel therapies. For this reason, I embarked on a Ph.D. program in 2010 to design antibody therapy to (i) target GVHD and (ii) target hematological malignancies. Under the mentorship of Professor Hiromitsu Nakauchi at the University of Tokyo, an international leader in hematopoiesis, I developed allele-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) monoclonal antibodies for severe GVHD caused by HLA-mismatched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Nakauchi et al., Exp Hematol, 2015). This study was the first to find that anti-HLA antibodies can be used therapeutically against GVHD. That success gave me the motivation and confidence to further my research beyond targeting GVHD to targeting leukemic stem cells through my postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Professor Ravindra Majeti here at Stanford University.
Many people suffer from leukemia each year, but we still don't know how to cure it completely. Recent advances in sequencing technologies have tremendously improved our understanding of the underlying mutations that drive hematologic malignancies. However, the reality is that most of the mutations are not easily "druggable," and the discovery of these mutations has not yet significantly impacted patient outcomes. This is perhaps the most crucial challenge facing a translational cancer researcher like myself. My current research is a major step toward my long-term goal of making personalized medicine a reality for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other hematologic malignancies.
Since joining the Majeti lab, I have been targeting the ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase-2 (TET2) mutation, which is aberrant in leukemia at a high rate and has been studied using human-derived cells. TET2 is known to be involved in the clonal expansion of cells, and people with this mutation are more likely to suffer from hematologic malignancies. It is also known to be involved in the development of coronary artery disease, a gene that has attracted much attention in recent studies. In my field, it is an essential gene involved in the abnormal proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells. Focusing on this gene, I mapped TET2-dependent 5hmC, epigenetic and transcriptional programs matched to competitive advantage, myeloid skewing, and reduced erythroid output in TET2-deficient hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). Vitamin C and azacitidine restore the 5hmC landscape and phenotypes in TET2-mutant HSPCs. These findings offer a comprehensive resource for TET-dependent transcriptional regulation of human hematopoiesis and shed light on the potential mechanisms by which TET deficiency contributes to clonal hematopoiesis and malignancies. Of course, these findings would also be of value in understanding the biology of normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and various other TET2-related cancers.
And from now on, I would like to use the single-cell transplantation techniques mastered in the Majeti lab to study the behavior of normal and aberrant human HSCs using various new methods, ultimately preventing the progression of AML.
In my clinical experience, I have lost many AML patients. With the regret and sadness of losing these patients in my heart, I hope to one day contribute to developing treatments that will fundamentally change how the world treats leukemia.
