G0 Cell Unit (Mitsuhiro Yanagida)

Research outline

Cell growth and multiplication are central problems in biology. Our laboratory is investigating the molecular switch problem: how cells control and execute a cell cycle arrest in the G0 state, and how cell growth and division resume under favorable environmental conditions.

What is G0?

G0 is a cell cycle stage, when cells cease division and remain in a quiescent state.

As most cells of adult human body (brain, muscle, nerve...) are in the G0 phase, it is important to understand how G0 phase is regulated at the molecular level.

Expected outcome of this research

Any essential progress in the basic "Cell growth and arrest" problem has impact on life science and will be welcome by human society. Control of cell growth has many potential application areas in medicine and biotechnology:

Cancer therapy

Suppressing abnormal cell multiplication

Regeneration medicine

Controlling cell multiplication

Organ transplant

Suppressing immune cells

For further information

Please see the Research projects page for the description of our approaches and models in on-going research projects.