Research Activities

Research Activities

Home › Research Activities › Principal Investigators › Kenji Osafune (Deputy Director & Professor)

Principal Investigators

Dept. of Cell Growth and Differentiation 
Kenji Osafune (Deputy Director & Professor)

Publications

Ito R, Kimura A, Hirose Y, Hatano Y, Mima A, Mae S, Keidai Y, Nakamura T, Fujikura J, Nishi Y, Ohta A, Toyoda T, Inagaki N, Osafune K

Elucidation of HHEX in pancreatic endoderm differentiation using a human iPSC differentiation model Scientific Reports, 2023 May 29;13(1):8659.

Tsujimoto H, Katagiri N, Ijiri Y, Sasaki B, Kobayashi Y, Mima A, Ryosaka M, Furuyama K, Kawaguchi Y, Osafune K

In vitro methods to ensure absence of residual undifferentiated human induced pluripotent stem cells intermingled in induced nephron progenitor cells PloS One, 17(11):e0275600

Mukae K, Takenobu H, Endo Y, Haruta M, Shi T, Satoh S, Ohira M, Funato M, Toguchida J, Osafune K, Nakahata T, Kanda H, Kamijo T

Development of an osteosarcoma model with MYCN amplification and TP53 mutation in hiPS cell-derived neural crest cells Cancer Sci., 114(5):1898-1911

Tsujisaka Y, Hatani T, Okubo C, Ito R, Kimura A, Narita M, Chonabayashi K, Funakoshi S, Lucena- Cacace A, Toyoda T, Osafune K, Kimura T, Saito H, and Yoshida Y

Purification of human iPSC-derived cells at large scale using microRNA switch and magnetic-activated cell sorting Stem Cell Reports, 17(7):1772-1785

Ryosaka M, Mae SI, Osafune K.

Protocol for the generation and expansion of human iPS cell-derived ureteric bud organoids STAR Protocols, 3(3):101484

Yamamoto K, Okabe M, Tanaka K, Yokoo T, Pastan I, Araoka T, Osafune K, Udagawa T, Koizumi M, Matsusaka T

Podocytes are lost from glomeruli before completing apoptosis Am J Physiol Renal Physiol., 323(5):F515-F526

Tsujimoto H, Osafune K

Current status and future directions of clinical applications using iPS cells - focus on Japan The FEBS journal. 10.1111/febs.16162

Yamamura Y, Furuichi K, Murakawa Y, Hirabayashi S, Yoshihara M, Sako K, Kitajima S, Toyama T, Iwata Y, Sakai N, Hosomichi K, Murphy PM, Tajima A, Okita K, Osafune K, Kaneko S, Wada T

Identification of candidate PAX2-regulated genes implicated in human kidney development Scientific Reports 11(1):9123

Nagaya M, Hasegawa K, Uchikura A, Nakano K, Watanabe M, Umeyama K, Matsunari H, Osafune K, Kobayashi E, Nakauchi H, Nagashima H.

Feasibility of large experimental animal models in testing novel therapeutic strategies for diabetes. World Journal of Diabetes 12(4):306-330

Osafune K.

iPSC technology-based regenerative medicine for kidney diseases. Clinical and Experimental Nephrology. 2021 Jun;25(6):574-584.

Osafune K.

Regenerative treatments for kidney diseases: the closest and fastest strategies to solving related medical and economic problems. Artificial Organs. 2021 May;45(5):447-453.

Shimizu T, Yamagata K, Osafune K.

Kidney organoids: research in developmental biology and emerging applications. Development Growth & Differentiation. 2021 Feb;63(2):166-177.

Katagiri N, Hitomi H, Mae SI, Kotaka M, Lei L, Yamamoto T, Nishiyama A, Osafune K.

Retinoic acid regulates erythropoietin production cooperatively with hypoxia-inducible factors in human iPSC-derived erythropoietin-producing cells. Scientific Reports. 2021 Feb 16;11(1):3936.

Kimura A, Toyoda T, Iwasaki M, Hirama R, Osafune K.

Combined Omics Approaches Reveal the Roles of Non-canonical WNT7B Signaling and YY1 in the Proliferation of Human Pancreatic Progenitor Cells. Cell Chemical Biology. 2020 Dec 17;27(12):1561-1572.

Nagaya M, Hasegawa K, Watanabe M, Nakano K, Okamoto K, Yamada T, Uchikura A, Osafune K, Yokota H, Nagaoka T, Matsunari H, Umeyama K, Kobayashi E, Nakauchi H, Nagashima H.

Genetically engineered pigs manifesting pancreatic agenesis with severe diabetes. BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. 8(2):e001792 (2020)

Hamabata T, Umeda K, Kouzuki K, Tanaka T, Daifu T, Nodomi S, Saida S, Kato I, Baba S, Hiramatsu H, Osawa M, Niwa A, Saito MK, Kamikubo Y, Adachi S, Hashii Y, Shimada A, Watanabe H, Osafune K, Okita K, Nakahata T, Watanabe K, Takita J, Heike T.

Pluripotent stem cell model of Shwachman-Diamond syndrome reveals apoptotic predisposition of hemoangiogenic progenitors. Scientific Repors., 10(1):14859 (2020)

Shimizu T, Mae SI, Araoka T, Okita K, Hotta A, Yamagata K, Osafune K.

A novel ADPKD model using kidney organoids derived from disease-specific human iPSCs. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2020 Sep 3;529(4):1186-1194.

Kuraoka S, Tanigawa S, Taguchi A, Hotta A, Nakazato H, Osafune K, Kobayashi A, Nishinakamura R.

PKD1-Dependent Renal Cystogenesis in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Ureteric Bud/Collecting Duct Organoids. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 31(10):2355-2371 (2020)

Mae SI, Ryosaka M, Sakamoto S, Matsuse K, Nozaki A, Igami M, Kabai R, Watanabe A, Osafune K.

Expansion of Human iPSC-Derived Ureteric Bud Organoids with Repeated Branching Potential. Cell Reports., 2020 Jul 28;32(4):107963.

Yasuda K, Kotaka M, Toyohara T, Sueta SI, Katakai Y, Ageyama N, Uemoto S, Osafune K.

A nonhuman primate model of liver fibrosis towards cell therapy for liver cirrhosis. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2020 Jun 4;526(3):661-669.

Tsujimoto H, Kasahara T, Sueta SI, Araoka T, Sakamoto S, Okada C, Mae SI, Nakajima T, Okamoto N, Taura D, Nasu M, Shimizu T, Ryosaka M, Li Z, Sone M, Ikeya M, Watanabe A, Osafune K.

A Modular Differentiation System Maps Multiple Human Kidney Lineages from Pluripotent Stem Cells. Cell Reports., 2020 Apr 7;31(1):107476.

Nishimoto S, Mizuno T, Takahashi K, Nagano F, Yuzawa Y, Nishiyama A, Osafune K, Hitomi H, Nagamatsu T.

CD140b and CD73 are markers for human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived erythropoietin-producing cells. FEBS Open Bio, 10(3):427-433 (2020)

Tsujimoto H, Araoka T, Nishi Y, Ohta A, Nakahata T, Osafune K.

Small molecule TCS21311 can replace BMP7 and facilitate cell proliferation in in vitro expansion culture of nephron progenitor cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2020 Feb 26.

Yamazaki D, Konishi Y, Morikawa T, Kobara H, Masaki T, Hitomi H, Osafune K, Nakano D, Kittikulsuth W, Nishiyama A.

Failure to confirm a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor-induced hematopoietic effect in non-diabetic rats with renal anemia. Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 11(4):834-843 (2020)

Yamazaki D, Konishi Y, Morikawa T, Kobara H, Masaki T, Hitomi H, Osafune K, Nakano D, Kittikulsuth W, Nishiyama A.

Failure to confirm an SGLT2 inhibitor-induced hematopoietic effect in non-diabetic rats with renal anemia. Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 11(4):834-843 (2019)

Yoshida T, Jonouchi T, Osafune K, Takita J, Sakurai H.

A Liver Model of Infantile-Onset Pompe Disease Using Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 29;7:316 (2019)

Toyoda T, Kimura A, Tanaka H, Osafune K.

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2019 Mar 27;145.

Matsui S, Ochiai M, Yasuda K, Mae SI, Kotaka M, Toyoda T, Yamamoto T, Osafune K.

Differentiation and isolation of iPSC-derived remodeling ductal plate-like cells by use of an AQP1-GFP reporter human iPSC line. Stem Cell Research. 2019 Mar;35:101400.

Mae SI, Ryosaka M, Osafune K.

Protocol to Generate Ureteric Bud Structures from Human iPS Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2019;1926:117-123.

Karagiannis P, Takahashi K, Saito M, Yoshida Y, Okita K, Watanabe A, Inoue H, Yamashita JK, Todani M, Nakagawa M, Osawa M, Yashiro Y, Yamanaka S, Osafune K.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Their Use in Human Models of Disease and Development. Physiological Reviews, 99(1):79-114 (2019)

Hoshina A, Kawamoto T, Sueta SI, Mae SI, Araoka T, Tanaka H, Sato Y, Yamagishi Y, Osafune K.

Development of new method to enrich human iPSC-derived renal progenitors using cell surface markers. Scientific Reports. 2018 Apr 23, 8(1):6375.

Kondo Y, Toyoda T, Inagaki N, Osafune K.

iPSC technology-based regenerative therapy for diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Investigation. 2018 Mar; 9(2):234-43.

Mae SI, Ryosaka M, Toyoda T, Matsuse K, Oshima Y, Tsujimoto H, Okumura S, Shibasaki A, Osafune K.

Generation of branching ureteric bud tissues from human pluripotent stem cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2018 Jan1;495(1):954-961.

Kieffer TJ, Woltjen K, Osafune K, Yabe D, Inagaki N.

Beta-cell replacement strategies for diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 9(3):457-463 (2017)

Matsuo K, Sone M, Honda-Kohmo K, Toyohara T, Sonoyama T, Taura D, Kojima K, Fukuda Y, Ohno Y, Inoue M, Ohta A, Osafune K, Nakao K, Inagaki N.

Significance of dopamine D1 receptor signalling for steroidogenic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells. Scientific Reports, 7(1):15120 (2017)

Kotaka M, Toyoda T, Yasuda K, Kitano Y, Okada C, Ohta A, Watanabe A, Uesugi M, Osafune K.

Adrenergic receptor agonists induce the differentiation of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatoblasts into hepatocyte-like cells. Scientific Reports. 2017 Dec 1;7(1):16734.

Kimura A, Toyoda T, Nishi Y, Nasu M, Ohta A, Osafune K.

Small molecule AT7867 proliferates PDX1-expressing pancreatic progenitor cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Research. 2017 Oct; 24:61-68.

Hitomi H, Kasahara T, Katagiri N, Hoshina A, Mae SI, Kotaka M, Toyohara T, Rahman A, Nakano D, Niwa A, Saito MK, Nakahata T, Nishiyama A, Osafune K.

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived erythropoietin-producing cells ameliorate renal anemia in mice. Science Translational Medicine. 2017 Sep 27;9(409).

Hosokawa Y, Toyoda T, Fukui K, Yamaguchi Baden M, Funato M, Kondo Y, Sudo T, Iwahashi H, Kishida M, Okada C, Watanabe A, Asaka I, Osafune K, Imagawa A, Shimomura I

Insulin-producing cells derived from 'induced pluripotent stem cells' of patients with fulminant type 1 diabetes: vulnerability to cytokine insults and increased expression of apoptosis-related genes. Journal of Diabetes Investigation. 2017 Aug 10.

Toyoda T, Kimura A, Tanaka H, Ameku T, Mima A, Hirose Y, Nakamura M, Watanabe A, Osafune K.

Rho-associated kinases and non-muscle myosin IIs inhibit the differentiation of human iPSCs to pancreatic endoderm cells. Stem Cell Reports. 2017 Aug 8;9(2):419-28.

Kondo Y, Toyoda T, Ito R, Funato M, Hosokawa Y, Matsui S, Sudo T, Nakamura M, Okada C, Zhuang X, Watanabe A, Ohta A, Inagaki N, Osafune K.

Identification of a small molecule that facilitates the differentiation of human iPSCs/ESCs and mouse embryonic pancreatic explants into pancreatic endocrine cells. Diabetologia. 2017 Aug; 60(8):1454-66.

Yoshitoshi-Uebayashi EY, Toyoda T, Yasuda K, Kotaka M, Nomoto K, Okita K, Yasuchika K, Okamoto S, Takubo N, Nishikubo T, Soga T, Uemoto S, Osafune K.

Modelling urea-cycle disorder citrullinemia type 1 with disease-specific iPSCs. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2017 May 6;486(3):613-619.

Ikeda K, Mizoro Y, Ameku T, Nomiya Y, Mae SI, Matsui S, Kuchitsu Y, Suzuki C, Hamaoka-Okamoto A, Yahata T, Sone M, Okita K, Watanabe A, Osafune K, Hamaoka K.

Transcriptional Analysis of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Resistance in Kawasaki Disease Using an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Disease Model. Circulation Journal. 2016 Dec 22;81(1):110-118.

Matsuno K, Mae SI, Okada C, Nakamura M, Watanabe A, Toyoda T, Uchida E, Osafune K.

Redefining definitive endoderm subtypes by robust induction of human induced pluripotent stem cells. Differentiation. 2016 Dec; 92(5): 281-90.

Ameku T, Taura D, Sone M, Numata T, Nakamura M, Shiota F, Toyoda T, Matsui S, Araoka T, Yasuno T, Mae SI, Kobayashi H, Kondo N, Kitaoka F, Amano N, Arai S, Ichisaka T, Matsuura N, Inoue S, Yamamoto T, Takahashi K, Asaka I, Yamada Y, Ubara Y, Muso E, Fukatsu A, Watanabe A, Sato Y, Nakahata T, Mori Y, Koizumi A, Nakao K, Yamanaka S, Osafune K.

Identification of MMP1 as a novel risk factor for intracranial aneurysms in ADPKD using iPSC models. Scientific Reports. 2016 Jul 15; 6: 30013.

Toyohara T, Mae SI, Sueta SI, Inoue T, Yamagishi Y, Kawamoto T, Kasahara T, Hoshina A, Toyoda T, Tanaka H, Araoka T, Sato-Otsubo A, Takahashi K, Sato Y, Yamaji N, Ogawa S, Yamanaka S, Osafune K.

Cell therapy using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived renal progenitors ameliorates acute kidney injury in mice. Stem Cells Translational Medicine. 2015 Sep;4(9):980-92.

Mae S, Osafune K.

Kidney regeneration from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation. 2015 Apr;20(2):171-7.

Toyoda T, Mae S, Tanaka H, Kondo Y, Funato M, Hosokawa Y, Sudo T, Kawaguchi Y, Osafune K.

Cell aggregation optimizes the differentiation of human ESCs and iPSCs into pancreatic bud-like progenitor cells. Stem Cell Research. 2015 Mar;14(2):185-97.

Osafune K.

Cell therapy for kidney injury: different options and mechanisms - Kidney progenitor cells. Nephron. 2014;126(2):64.

Yasuno T, Osafune K, Sakurai H, Asaka I, Tanaka A, Yamaguchi S, Yamada K, Hitomi H, Arai S, Kurose Y, Higaki Y, Sudo M, Ando S, Nakashima H, Saito T, Kaneoka H.

Functional analysis of iPSC-derived myocytes from a patient with carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2014 May 30;448(2):175-81.

Araoka T, Mae S, Kurose Y, Uesugi M, Ohta A, Yamanaka S, Osafune K.

Efficient and rapid induction of human iPSCs/ESCs into nephrogenic intermediate mesoderm using small molecule-based differentiation methods. PLoS One. 2014 Jan 15;9(1):e84881.

Osafune K

Will it be possible to generate kidney tissue from induced pluripotent stem cells for regenerative therapy? Regenerative Medicine. 2014 Jan;9(1):9-12.

Mae S, Shono A, Shiota F, Yasuno T, Kajiwara M, Gotoda-Nishimura N, Arai S, Sato-Otubo A, Toyoda T, Takahashi K, Nakayama N, Cowan CA, Aoi T, Ogawa S, McMahon AP, Yamanaka S, Osafune K.

Monitoring and robust induction of nephrogenic intermediate mesoderm from human pluripotent stem cells. Nature Communications. 2013; 4: 1367.

Osafune K.

iPS cell technology-based research for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Seminars in Nephrology. 2012 Sep; 32(5): 479-85.

Osafune K and Yamanaka S

Stem cells in regenerative processes; Induced pluripotent stem cells. Regenerative nephrology (Elsevier), 2010, pp203-15.

Osafune K.

In vitro regeneration of kidney from pluripotent stem cells. Exp.Cell Res., 2010, Oct 1; 316(16): 2571-7.

Chen S, Borowiak M, Fox J, Maehr R, Osafune K, Davidow L, Lam K, Peng L, Schreiber S, Rubin L, Melton DA.

A small molecule that directs differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into the pancreatic lineage. Nature Chem Biol. 2009 Apr;5(4): 258-65

Huangfu D, Osafune K, Maehr R, Guo W, Eijkelenboom A, Chen S, Muhlestein W, Melton DA.

Induction of pluripotent stem cells from primary human fibroblasts with only Oct4 and Sox2. Nature Biotechnol. 2008 Nov;26(11):1269-75.

Osafune K, Caron L, Borowiak M, Martinez RJ, Fitz-Gerald CS, Sato Y, Cowan CA, Chien KR, Melton DA.

Marked differences in differentiation propensity among human embryonic stem cell lines. Nature Biotechnol. 2008 Mar;26(3):313-5.

Osafune K, Chen AE, Melton DA.

Directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into early endoderm cells. Human Embryonic Stem Cells. -The practical handbook (Wiley) 179-187.

Nishinakamura R, Osafune K.

Essential roles of Sall family genes in kidney development. J Physiol Sci. 2006 Apr;56(2):131-6. Review.

Osafune K, Takasato M, Kispert A, Asashima M, Nishinakamura R.

Identification of multipotent progenitors in the embryonic mouse kidney by a novel colony-forming assay. Development. 2006 Jan;133(1):151-61.

Takasato M, Osafune K, Matsumoto Y, Kataoka Y, Yoshida N, Meguro H, Aburatani H, Asashima M, Nishinakamura R.

Identification of kidney mesenchymal genes by a combination of microarray analysis and Sall1-GFP knockin mice. Mech Dev. 2004 Jun;121(6):547-57.

Osafune K, Nishinakamura R, Komazaki S, Asashima M.

In vitro induction of the pronephric duct in Xenopus explants. Dev Growth Differ. 2002 Apr;44(2):161-7.

Osafune K, Yoshinaga T, Tadano M, Takeoka H, Kageyama K, Mimura R, Saita H, Ichikawa K, Kanatsu K.

Hereditary coproporphyria and chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis. Clin Exp Nephrol. 2000 Dec;4(4):348-351.

Osafune K, Takeoka H, Kanamori H, Koshiyama H, Hirose K, Hanada M, Mimura R, Ando F, Kanatsu K.

Crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with infective endocarditis: renal recovery after immediate surgical intervention. Clin Exp Nephrol. 2000 Dec;4(4):329-334.

Osafune K, Iehara N, Takeoka H, Doi T, Kita T.

Nifedipine and haemolytic anaemia. J Intern Med. 2000 Feb;247(2):299-300.

Osafune K, Ichikawa K, Yasui T, Sekikawa A, Takeoka H, Kanatsu K, Kohigashi K, Koshiyama H.

An adult-onset case of argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency presenting with atypical citrullinemia. Intern Med. 1999 Jul;38(7):590-6.
Authored Book Chapters

Osafune K.

Directing the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to renal endpoints. Kidney Development, Repair and Regeneration, First Edition. 473-490, 2015.
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