Research

Overview

  Cell death is essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis and has profound effects on a wide range of pathological conditions, including cancer and autoimmune disease. 

  At TMGL, we seek to understand the fundamental mechanisms of cell death through the lens of tissue microenvironment interactions and immunology. By uncovering how dying or stressed cells communicate with surrounding cells and reshape local tissue environments, we aim to develop new strategies for modulating the tumor microenvironment and for treating cancer, metastasis, and immune-related diseases.

  Our research integrates live-cell imaging, animal models, and multiomics based analysis to achieve a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of these processes across molecular, cellular, and tissue levels.

1. Understanding fundamental mechanisms of cell death

  We investigate the basic biology of cell death, with a particular focus on Nuclear Expulsion (NE), a recently described cellular phenomenon in which stressed cancer cells release their nuclei into the extracellular space. 

  We aim to define the mechanisms underlying this process and to understand the biological functions of the extracellular DNA-protein complexes generated during NE.

1. Nat Cancer 4, 419–435 (2023)

2. Scientific Reports 15, 28054 (2025)

2. Cell death, tumor microenvironment, and therapy response

We view NE not simply as a form of cell death, but as a novel cellular stress response that enables communication with neighboring cells and the immune system, thereby reshaping the tissue microenvironment. Our work focuses on how NE contributes to cancer metastasis, therapy resistance, and immune regulation within the tumor microenvironment, and how these processes may be therapeutically targeted.

3. NE in normal tissues and inflammatory disease

Beyond cancer, we are interested in whether NE also plays roles in normal tissue physiology and in a wider spectrum of diseases involving inflammation and immune dysfunction.

4. Epigenetic control of cell-cycle vulnerability

We also explore how epigenetic regulatory mechanisms influence cell-cycle progression and cell-death evasion in cancer. Through inhibitor-based screening and mechanistic studies, we aim to identify pathways involving regulators such as CDK4 and translate these findings into new therapeutic strategies.