Members | Principal Investigators
Hiromitsu Nakauchi, MD, PhD

Dr. Hiromitsu (Hiro) Nakauchi is recognized as a pioneer in stem cell research and single-cell biology. He demonstrated that a single hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) can reconstitute the entire blood-lymphatic system of irradiated (HSC-removed) mice, a definitive proof for “stemness”. After years of research, his laboratory successfully developed a method to expand functional HSCs ex vivo. This achievement offers a culture platform for broad applications for HSC biology and notable translational implications. His experience in HSC research led to the idea of an “organ niche” and successfully created a rat pancreas in mice, a groundbreaking demonstration of cross-species organogenesis. Dr. Nakauchi has also advanced induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) applications, developing methods for in vitro generation of human platelets and T cells for transfusion and immunotherapy. His research links discoveries in stem cell biology, immunology, molecular biology, and developmental engineering to effective stem cell therapies. 

Publications:

Nagano H, Mizuno N, Sato H, Mizutani E, Yanagida A, Kano M, Kasai M, Yamamoto H, Watanabe M, Suchy F, Masaki H, Nakauchi H. Skin graft with dermis and appendages generated in vivo by cell competition. Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 29;15(1):3366. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47527-7. PMID: 38684678; PMCID: PMC11058811.
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Kano M, Mizuno N, Sato H, Kimura T, Hirochika R, Iwasaki Y, Inoshita N, Nagano H, Kasai M, Yamamoto H, Yamaguchi T, Suga H, Masaki H, Mizutani E, Nakauchi H. Functional calcium-responsive parathyroid glands generated using single-step blastocyst complementation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Jul 11;120(28):e2216564120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2216564120. Epub 2023 Jun 28. PMID: 37379351; PMCID: PMC10334775. go to article

Sakurai M, Ishitsuka K, Ito R, Wilkinson AC, Kimura T, Mizutani E, Nishikii H, Sudo K, Becker HJ, Takemoto H, Sano T, Kataoka K, Takahashi S, Nakamura Y, Kent DG, Iwama A, Chiba S, Okamoto S, Nakauchi H, Yamazaki S. Chemically defined cytokine-free expansion of human haematopoietic stem cells. Nature. 2023 Mar;615(7950):127-133. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-05739-9. Epub 2023 Feb 22. PMID: 36813966. go to article

Nishimura T, Suchy FP, Bhadury J, Igarashi KJ, Charlesworth CT, Nakauchi H. Generation of Functional Organs Using a Cell-Competitive Niche in Intra- and Inter-species Rodent Chimeras. Cell Stem Cell. 2021 Jan 7;28(1):141-149.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.11.019. Epub 2020 Dec 28. PMID: 33373620; PMCID: PMC8025673. go to article

Nishimura T, Suchy FP, Bhadury J, Igarashi KJ, Charlesworth CT, Nakauchi H. Generation of Functional Organs Using a Cell-Competitive Niche in Intra- and Inter-species Rodent Chimeras. Cell Stem Cell. 2021 Jan 7;28(1):141-149.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.11.019. Epub 2020 Dec 28. PMID: 33373620; PMCID: PMC8025673.
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Matsunari H, Watanabe M, Hasegawa K, Uchikura A, Nakano K, Umeyama K, Masaki H, Hamanaka S, Yamaguchi T, Nagaya M, Nishinakamura R, Nakauchi H, Nagashima H. Compensation of Disabled Organogeneses in Genetically Modified Pig Fetuses by Blastocyst Complementation. Stem Cell Reports. 2020 Jan 14;14(1):21-33. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.11.008. Epub 2019 Dec 26. PMID: 31883918; PMCID: PMC6962638. go to article

Yamaguchi T, Sato H, Kobayashi T, Kato-Itoh M, Goto T, Hara H, Mizuno N, Yanagida A, Umino A, Hamanaka S, Suchy F, Masaki H, Ota Y, Hirabayashi M, Nakauchi H. An interspecies barrier to tetraploid complementation and chimera formation. Sci Rep. 2018 Oct 16;8(1):15289. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-33690-7. PMID: 30327488; PMCID: PMC6191448. go to article

Hamanaka S, Umino A, Sato H, Hayama T, Yanagida A, Mizuno N, Kobayashi T, Kasai M, Suchy FP, Yamazaki S, Masaki H, Yamaguchi T, Nakauchi H. Generation of Vascular Endothelial Cells and Hematopoietic Cells by Blastocyst Complementation. Stem Cell Reports. 2018 Oct 9;11(4):988-997. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.08.015. Epub 2018 Sep 20. PMID: 30245211; PMCID: PMC6178562. go to article

Suchy F, Nakauchi H. Interspecies chimeras. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2018 Oct;52:36-41. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2018.05.007. Epub 2018 May 30. PMID: 29859382.
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Yamaguchi T, Sato H, Kato-Itoh M, Goto T, Hara H, Sanbo M, Mizuno N, Kobayashi T, Yanagida A, Umino A, Ota Y, Hamanaka S, Masaki H, Rashid ST, Hirabayashi M, Nakauchi H. Interspecies organogenesis generates autologous functional islets. Nature. 2017 Feb 9;542(7640):191-196. doi: 10.1038/nature21070. Epub 2017 Jan 25. PMID: 28117444. go to article

Matsunari H, Nagashima H, Watanabe M, Umeyama K, Nakano K, Nagaya M, Kobayashi T, Yamaguchi T, Sumazaki R, Herzenberg LA, Nakauchi H. Blastocyst complementation generates exogenic pancreas in vivo in apancreatic cloned pigs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Mar 19;110(12):4557-62. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1222902110. Epub 2013 Feb 19. PMID: 23431169; PMCID: PMC3607052. go to article

Kobayashi T, Yamaguchi T, Hamanaka S, Kato-Itoh M, Yamazaki Y, Ibata M, Sato H, Lee YS, Usui J, Knisely AS, Hirabayashi M, Nakauchi H. Generation of rat pancreas in mouse by interspecific blastocyst injection of pluripotent stem cells. Cell. 2010 Sep 3;142(5):787-99. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.07.039. PMID: 20813264. go to article