RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research Laboratory for Human Organogenesis

Team Leader: Minoru Takasato (Ph.D.)

Japanese Page

Research Summary

By precisely recapitulating the developmental process of human kidney in directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells, we are trying to achieve the ultimate goal, generation of a three-dimensional urinary tract including the kidney and the bladder that is functional and transplantable to the patients. We also study about how to recapitulate the development of other organs that connect to the kidney. We are highly interested in studies of human embryology. Utilizing our unique technology that generates hPSCs-derived kidney organoids from the pluripotent stage in vitro, we are especially investigating developmental mechanisms of human mesoderm and urinary organs.

Main Research Fields

Biology

Related Research Fields

Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy

Keywords

Kidney development
iPS cell
Directed differentiation
Kidney organoid
three-dimensional organogenesis

Selected Publications

Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.

1. Susaki, E. A. & Takasato, M.
"Perspective: Extending the Utility of Three-Dimensional Organoids by Tissue Clearing Technologies."
Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 9, 1–12 (2021)
2. Tomoda, K., Hu, H., Sahara, Y., Sanyal, H., Takasato, M. & Kime, C.
"Reprogramming epiblast stem cells into pre-implantation blastocyst cell-like cells."
Stem Cell Reports 16, 1197–1209 (2021)
3. Knarston, I. M., Pachernegg, S., Robevska, G., Ghobrial, I., Er, P. X., Georges, E., Takasato, M., et al.
"An In Vitro Differentiation Protocol for Human Embryonic Bipotential Gonad and Testis Cell Development."
Stem Cell Reports 15, 1377–1391 (2020)
4. Takasato, M. & Wymeersch, F. J.
"Challenges to future regenerative applications using kidney organoids."
Curr. Opin. Biomed. Eng. 13, 144–151 (2020)
5. Phipson, B., Er, P. X., Combes, A. N., Forbes, T. A., Howden, S. E., Zappia, L., Yen, H.-J., Lawlor, K. T., Hale, L. J., Sun, J., Wolvetang, E., Takasato, M., Oshlack, A. & Little, M. H.
"Evaluation of variability in human kidney organoids."
Nat. Methods 16, 79–87 (2019)
6. Takasato, M.
"Advice for the Next Generation: Minoru Takasato."
Cell Stem Cell 24, 688–689 (2019).
7. *Takasato, M., Er, P. X., Chiu, H. S. & Little, M. H.
"Generation of kidney organoids from human pluripotent stem cells."
Nat. Protoc. 11, 1681–92 (2016)
8. *Takasato, M., Er, P. X., Chiu, H. S., Maier, B., Baillie, G. J., Ferguson, C., Parton, R. G., Wolvetang, E. J., Roost, M. S., Chuva de Sousa Lopes, S. M. & Little, M. H.
"Kidney organoids from human iPS cells contain multiple lineages and model human nephrogenesis."
Nature 526, 564–8 (2015)
9. *Takasato, M. & Little, M. H.
"The origin of the mammalian kidney: implications for recreating the kidney in vitro."
Development 142, 1937–1947 (2015)
10. *Takasato, M., Er, P. X., Becroft, M., Vanslambrouck, J. M., Stanley, E. G., Elefanty, A. G. & Little, M. H.
"Directing human embryonic stem cell differentiation towards a renal lineage generates a self-organizing kidney."
Nat. Cell Biol. 16, 118–126 (2014)

Recent Research Results

Dec. 21, 2022
The next milestones in generating artificial organs

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Minoru Takasato: Team Leader

Core members

Wei Zhao: Research Scientist
Filip Jos Wymeersch: Research Scientist
Junichi Taniguchi: Special Postdoctoral Researcher
Olena Trush: Research Scientist
Yoshiki Sahara: Visiting Scientist
Chie Fukui: Technical Staff I
Kensuke Yabuuchi: Research Associate
Kazuhiro Ofuji: Research Associate
Rio Noto: Student Trainee
Wataru Uno: Junior Research Associate
Yukari Usuda: Student Trainee
Taiki Satoh: Junior Research Associate
Masaya Goto: Student Trainee
Eri Yamashita: Administrative Part-time Worker I

Contact Information

3F, RIKEN BDR Developmental Biology Bldg.A,
2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuou-ku,
Kobe, Hyogo,
650-0047 Japan
Email: minoru.takasato [at] riken.jp