JP
Labs and Faculty
Inter-Institutional Cooperative Laboratories
Laboratory of Cancer Biology

ISHII Genichiro Prof. M.D., Ph.D.

Other Affiliations: Chief, Division of Innovative Pathology and Laboratory Medicine(Kashiwa)
Theme

Tumor biology, Cell biology, Pathology

Keyword

Tumor microenvironment, Cancer-associated fibroblasts. Diversity of drug sensitivity

Message

A unique feature of our laboratory is that we can directly handle human cancer tissues. This is a major feature of a hospital-based research facility. When conducting research using human specimens, we are often confronted with results that are different from our expectations. In such cases, it is important to have a thought process based on actual observations, rather than relying on past reports. Believe what you see with your own eyes; what you see is your reality.

Introduction

Cancer does not consist only of cancer cells. A large number of non-cancerous cells exist around cancer cells. During my graduate school days, I discovered that non-cancerous cells have functional abnormalities using human pathological specimens of malignant lymphoma. Since then, I have been consistently studying non-cancer cells, especially fibroblasts. Fibroblasts function either 1) as cells that fill tissue gaps or 2) as cells that directly influence the biological picture of cancer cells. Recent studies have recognized that fibroblasts are a functionally and phenotypically heterogeneous cell population. And cancer cells are also a heterogeneous cell population. We are developing in vitro models that mimic the dynamic microenvironment formed by these heterogeneous cancer cells and fibroblasts (tumor microenvironment dynamics) using techniques such as fluorescent proteins and time lapse imaging. In recent years, we have been using the above models to analyze the biological images of single cells (cancer cells and fibroblasts) in order to elucidate the mechanisms of cancer progression and drug sensitivity. If you are interested in this project, please contact us.

  • In vitro model that mimic dynamics of tumor microenvironment

  • The main theme of our research

Biography

1990 Obtained M.D., Kanazawa University School of Medicine.
1994 Obtained Ph.D., Chiba University School of Medicine.
1994 Assistant Professor, Chiba University School of Medicine.
2000 Lecturer, Chiba University School of Medicine
2001 Section head, National Cancer Center Research Institute Kashiwa.
2012 Unit Leader, Developmental Therapeutics, Research Center for Innovative Oncology,
National Cancer Center Hospital East.
2013 Visiting Associate Professor, NCC Cancer Science, Life Science and Technology Track, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
2015 Visiting Professor, Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Integrated Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences.
2016 Chief, Division of Pathology, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center.
2020 Chief, Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital, East.
Chief, Division of Innovative Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Kashiwa)