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Molecular and Cellular Physiology(Biology)

Hase HiroakiAssistant professor

My name is Hase and I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. After obtaining my doctorate, I worked for a company involved in supporting new drug development before assuming my current position. I am currently working on the analysis of RNA modifications, measurement of various metabolites, and proteome analysis using mass spectrometry. Through each of these omics analyses, I hope to elucidate the mechanisms of cancer pathogenesis and malignant progression. My favorite time of the day is drinking energy drinks in the lab. I look forward to working with you.

Research theme

Functional analysis of immune checkpoint molecules and search for biomarkers to predict efficacy against inhibitors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are breakthrough cancer drugs that activate the immune system to eliminate cancer cells and are now widely used for a variety of cancers. However, the response rate is said to be as low as 20%, and it is desired to establish a method to predict which patients will respond to these drugs and to elicit therapeutic effects. Therefore, we are conducting research to elucidate the detailed functions of immune checkpoint molecules in order to establish a new therapeutic approach. We also hope to identify biomarkers that can predict efficacy from metabolites in blood, and to contribute to the establishment of a system for predicting patients who will benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors and to the improvement of therapeutic methods in the future.

Functional Analysis of the Epitranscriptome

More than 100 post-transcriptional modifications of RNA are known to date, and it is speculated that RNA fulfills its function when these modifications are regulated normally. This mechanism of regulation of the translation stage of genes by acquired modifications of RNAs has recently attracted attention as a new concept of "epitranscriptomics. We are attempting to analyze the physiological or pathological functions of RNA modifications whose functions are unknown by utilizing mass spectrometry. We are currently focusing on the AlkB homolog (ALKBH), a family of RNA demethylases, to investigate the molecular pathology of cancer.