Name | Anatomy and Regenerative Biology |
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Chairman |
Professor Kazuo Ikeda
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Contact |
TEL:+81-6-6645-3701 MAIL:ikeda@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp |
Website | |
Overview |
The Department of Anatomy was founded in 1944 and Prof. Kiyoshi Suzuki was appointed as the first chair in 1948. Prof. Suzuki developed the staining method of silver impregnation called Suzuki’s method and accomplished nerve staining in a variety of organs. In 1964, Prof. Kenzo Yamagata succeeded him as the second chair of the Department and contributed especially to the promulgation of the Act on Body Donation for Medical and Dental Education. The third chair, Prof. Hiroshi Takagi, and the fourth chair, Prof. Hiroshi Kiyama, improved the Department’s neuroanatomy research program. In 2011, Prof. Kazuo Ikeda took office as the fifth chair of the Department. One of our current research interests is the cell biology of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSCs, which constitute the sinusoidal walls, make adherens junctions directly with hepatocytes. Quiescent HSCs function as pericytes and store vitamin A. It is well known that activated HSCs transform into myofibroblast-like cells, release vitamin A, and play a pivotal role in the development of fibrosis. However, what triggers the development of HSCs into their active form, how vitamin A is released from HSCs, and how HSCs are associated with hepatic regeneration and hepatic carcinogenesis still remain unclear. We have been studying these questions using molecular and cell biological as well as morphological techniques. |