Professor

HARADA, Hiroshi
harada.hiroshi.5e -at- kyoto-u.ac.jp

Program-Specific Assistant Professor

KOBAYASHI, Minoru
kobayashi.minoru.4m -at- kyoto-u.ac.jp

Main theme

Cells maintain their function and morphology by exploiting a suitable adaptive response system to diverse and complex tissue microenvironments. Several lines of evidence have suggested that hypoxic, acidic and nutrients-depleted microenvironments exist in solid tumors and induce malignant phenotypes and chemo/radioresistance of cancer cells (Figure 1). We aim at elucidating molecular mechanisms responsible for cellular adaptive responses to the tumor-specific microenvironments and malignant progression of cancer cells (Figure 2).

• Cellular adaptive responses to tumor microenvironments, e.g. hypoxia
• Molecular mechanisms underlying malignant progression and chemo/radioresistance of cancer cells
• Regulatory mechanisms of carbohydrate metabolic pathway

Figure 1：Hypoxic tumor cells (green) distant from blood vessels (blue) are resistant to radiation-induced DNA damage (red).

Figure 2：HIF-1-mediated gene networks responsible for both adaptive responses to hypoxia and malignant progression of cancer cells.

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