LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Multicellular Systems Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab studies how cell-cell competition and cooperation shed light on the mechanisms of cancer and aging.
AboutAbout the lab
Cells compete with one another, and they cooperate.
Much has been learned about how individual cells behave, but how cells communicate with one another to produce the functions of a cell population is still largely unknown.
The Multicellular Systems division (Igaki Lab) focuses on competition and cooperation between cells. It aims to uncover the principles of cell-cell communication that underlie organ development and tissue maintenance, as well as the mechanisms of cancer and aging that arise when this communication breaks down.
The lab uses Drosophila fruit flies, which are well suited to genetics and imaging, as its model organism, and applies the principles it discovers to mammalian cells and mice through collaborations.
Key terms
- Cell competition
- A phenomenon in which, among cells of the same type, "fitter" cells remove less fit cells from the cell population
- Cell polarity
- The property by which a cell has an orientation, such as top and bottom, and different parts of the cell carry out different functions
- Cellular senescence
- A state in which cells, in response to abnormalities, stop dividing but remain alive
- Autophagy
- A mechanism by which cells break down their own contents and reuse them
ResearchResearch themes
Using Drosophila genetics, imaging, and molecular and cell biology techniques, the lab analyzes cell-cell communication at the level of the whole organism.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms and roles of cell competition
Precancerous cells that have lost cell polarity are eliminated when they are surrounded by normal cells. The lab found that these cells are eliminated through autophagy-mediated cell death. The lab studies cell competition.
*Illustrative imageCancer progression driven by cooperation between cells
Using Drosophila tumor models, the lab has shown, among other findings, that inflammatory substances secreted by certain mutant cells make surrounding benign tumors malignant, and it also investigates mechanisms that suppress cancer.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms of aging
The lab found that cellular senescence and the accompanying secretion mechanisms are conserved in Drosophila, and identified factors that are necessary and sufficient to induce cellular senescence.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorTatsushi Igaki
- Associate ProfessorHiroshi Kanda
- Program-Specific Associate ProfessorDaiki Umetsu
- Program-Specific LecturerKiichiro Taniguchi
- Assistant ProfessorRina Nagata
- Assistant ProfessorBungo Kakemura
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Multicellular Systems Lab
Organelle Informatics LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyElucidation of mitochondrial sensing mechanisms of environme…
Mathematical Therapeutics LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyDevelopment of analytical technologies for pathophysiology a…
Pathogenic Immunology LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyPathogenic T cells in autoimmune disease; cancer control by …
Pharmacogenomics and Genomic Drug Discovery LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyLigand discovery based on functional genomics of G protein-c…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Illu epithelium” US Government / Public domain (cropped)
- Mechanisms and roles of cell competition: “Standing female Drosophila melanogaster” Hannah Davis / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Cancer progression driven by cooperation between cells: “Cancer cells illustration ( )” NIH Image Gallery from Bethesda, Maryland, USA / Public domain (cropped)
- Mechanisms of aging: “T Cell Senescence (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Organelle Informatics Lab): “Damaged Mitochondria (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Mathematical Therapeutics Lab): “Iodine pills” Mx. Granger / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Pathogenic Immunology Lab): “T Cell (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Pharmacogenomics and Genomic Drug Discovery Lab): “Rasyslami” The original uploader was (Automated conversion) at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.