Taiki Sakaguchi Taiki Sakaguchi

Project Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Osaka *Profile is at the time of the award.

2026HagukumuBiology & Life sciences(hagukumu)

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Research topics: Development of novel ulcerative colitis therapy promoting mucosal repair via epithelial stem cell differentiation control

Keyword

Summary: While existing treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC) focus primarily on suppressing inflammation, promoting tissue repair represents a promising new approach for refractory cases. Using single-cell RNA-seq analysis and organoid experiments, we have demonstrated that in the intestinal mucosa of UC patients, hyperactivation of CDC42 induces an aberrant shift in epithelial stem cell division patterns, leading to defective differentiation, reduced epithelial cell turnover, and impaired mucosal repair. In this study, we will employ the CDC42 inhibitor ML141 to validate a novel UC therapeutic strategy that simultaneously promotes mucosal repair through normalization of stem cell division patterns and prevents colitis-associated cancer.

Message

Ulcerative colitis is a refractory disease often diagnosed in young adults, requiring lifelong management, and the elevated risk of colorectal cancer with prolonged disease duration remains unresolved._x000D_
This research shifts the therapeutic paradigm from "suppressing inflammation" to "breaking the vicious cycle of inflammation and tissue injury" by normalizing intestinal epithelial stem cell division. The ability to simultaneously promote mucosal repair and prevent colitis-associated cancer through a single molecular target, CDC42, represents the core originality of this work._x000D_
Our ultimate goal is to expand treatment options beyond surgery for refractory UC patients. We are committed to translating these fundamental findings into clinical therapies that can genuinely transform patients' lives.