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Biological Regulation Lab
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A lab that explores the mechanisms of cell competition and aging using small fish.
AboutAbout the lab
How are our bodies formed, maintained, and aged?
The Biological Regulation Lab studies the mechanisms by which the body is formed, maintained, and ages, using imaging and model animals.
One pillar of its research is "cell competition," which examines how abnormal cells arising in a cell population are detected by surrounding cells and eliminated.
The other pillar is research on predicting and controlling human aging and lifespan using the killifish, an extremely short-lived fish with a lifespan of 3 to 6 months.
On the lab's website, it is introduced under the name "Ishitani Lab."
Key terms
- Cell competition
- A mechanism in which the cells surrounding an error cell that has arisen in a cell population detect it through cell-cell communication and eliminate it
- Killifish
- An extremely short-lived fish with a lifespan of 3 to 6 months. Aging can be studied in a short period
- Zebrafish
- A small fish with a small, highly transparent body. It is used for imaging to observe phenomena inside the body in living animals
- Wnt/β-catenin signaling
- A signaling pathway conserved across animal species. It governs the formation of body polarity and the control of stem cell fate
NewsLab news
Recruiting graduate students, undergraduates, JSPS Research Fellows (PD), researchers, and others
A doctoral student received a Best Poster award at the Japanese Medaka and Zebrafish Meeting
A doctoral student received a Best Presenter Award at the Kanazawa University Cancer Research Institute Young Investigator Colloquium
An English review on reproduction and aging written by an Assistant Professor has been published
A doctoral student and an undergraduate student received Best Presentation awards at the Cell Competition Colloquium
ResearchResearch themes
The lab investigates the mechanism of "cell competition," which eliminates error cells arising in a cell population, aiming to connect it to technologies for preventing cancer and other diseases. It also aims to predict and control human aging and lifespan using the extremely short-lived killifish.
*Illustrative imageCell competition that eliminates abnormal cells
The lab studies "cell competition," in which animal tissues, without relying on immunity, have neighboring normal cells detect and eliminate abnormal cells. It pursues this research as a mechanism that suppresses the development of cancer and as one that underlies accurate tissue formation (developmental robustness).
*Illustrative imageRegulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling
The lab explores unknown regulatory mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which governs the formation of body polarity and the control of stem cell fate in animals. It aims to elucidate tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis, and to contribute to medicine by developing technologies to control this signaling.
*Illustrative imageThe kinase NLK, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer
NLK is an unusual kinase that belongs to none of the MAPK family members ERK, p38, or JNK. The lab aims to clarify the mechanisms involved in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, and to lead to the development of therapies.
*Illustrative imageHuman disease models in fish
The lab uses small fish such as zebrafish as disease models and studies disease with multi-sample, high-throughput, high-resolution imaging. It particularly focuses on imaging analysis of the process of cancer development.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Biological Regulation Lab consist of faculty, researchers, assistants, doctoral and master's students, undergraduates, research students, and FrontierLab international students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTohru Ishitani
- Assistant ProfessorYuki Akieda
- Assistant ProfessorKota Abe
- Project Assistant ProfessorShizuka Ishitani
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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: “Fluorescence.microscope1” Bioguy10 / CC0 (cropped)
- Cell competition that eliminates abnormal cells: “Oral epithelium - Epithelial cells - Methylene blue dye - View 40X” Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling: “Wnt signaling pathway” Srgokribb / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- The kinase NLK, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer: “Structure of the human STK3 kinase domain” Huza90 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Human disease models in fish: “Danio rerio lab right” Pogrebnoj-Alexandroff / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biomolecular Recognition Lab): “Human tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (interdomain interaction, TyrRS)” Oleksandr V. Savytskyi / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Protein Design Lab): “TMEM238 protein predicted folding via AlphaFold” Huntingrl / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Genome-Chromosome Function Lab): “Independent assortment” Christinelmiller / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Dynamic Molecular Biochemistry Lab): “P. urativorans 70S ribosome with Balon and RaiA” Helena-Bueno, K., Rybak, M.Y., Gagnon, M.G., Hill, C.H., Melnikov, S.V. / CC0 (cropped)
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