We started our research at the Center for Brain Integration Research (CBIR) at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) in 2009. For about 10 years, we have focused on injured brain regeneration. 

How can we bring out the regenerative potential in the injured brain? We tried to understand the regeneration potency of the injured brain by the approach of "Science," which reflects building and organizing knowledge of something that does exist. In contrast to the approach of "Science," We developed the method for injured brain regeneration by the approach of "Engineering," which reflects a creative application for the development of something that does not exist. For 10 years, we have studied and developed the method for injured brain regeneration by the approach of "Science" and "Engineering" and have worked with excellent collaborators to demonstrate the concept of injured brain regeneration using artificial scaffolds in rodents. However, for the next 10 years, we will challenge novel approaches such as "Medicine" and "Enterprise" and aim to develop regenerative medicine for the injured brain and elucidate the potential regenerative ability of the brain. Although my expertise is in neurobiology, we will collaborate with experts in physics, chemistry, medicine, and enterprise to take on challenges that are considered difficult to accomplish in a small laboratory. 

Professor：Itsuki Ajioka (iajioka.cbir(at)tmd.ac.jp )
Postdoctoral Fellow：Chikako Hara
Technical Fellow：Saori Akimoto
Research Assistant: Sara Sultana
Secretory: Eriko Oda
Student (pre-PhD course): Zhuge Lujie
Student (medical student): Kota Higashikawa

Alumni
Student (medical student): Ryota Isshiki (2020)
Student (medical student): Mari Fujimori (2020)
Student (medical student): Rintaro Tsurita (2021)
 

【Biomaterial Engineering】

Yaguchi A#, Oshikawa M#, Watanabe G, Hiramatsu H, Uchida N, Hara C, Kaneko N, Sawamoto K, Muraoka T*, Ajioka I* (*co-corresponding author)
Efficient protein incorporation and release by a jigsaw-shaped self-assembling peptide hydrogel for injured brain regeneration
Nature Commun. 12, 6623, 2021

Sasaki Y, Oshikawa M, Bharmoria P, Kouno H, Hayashi-Takagi A, Sato M, Ajioka I*, Yanai N*, Kimizuka N*. (*co-corresponding author)
Near-Infrared Optogenetic Genome Engineering Based on Photon-Upconversion Hydrogels
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 58, 17827-17833, 2019

Oshikawa M, Okada K, Kaneko N, Sawamoto K, and Ajioka I* (* corresponding author)
Affinity-Immobilization of VEGF on Laminin Porous Sponge Enhances Angiogenesis in the Ischemic Brain
Adv Healthc Mater, 1700183, 2017

Ajioka I*, Ichinose S, Nakajima K, Mizusawa H. (*corresponding author)
Basement membrane-like matrix sponge for the three-dimensional proliferation culture of differentiated retinal horizontal interneurons.
Biomaterials 32:5765-5772, 2011.

【Developmental Neurobiology】

Mio Oshikawa, Kei Okada, Hidenori Tabata, Koh-ichi Nagata, and Itsuki Ajioka* (*corresponding author)
Dnmt1-dependent Chk1 pathway suppression is protective against neuron division
Development 144, 3303-3314, 2017

Aldiri I#, Ajioka I#, Xu B, Zhang J, Chen X, Benavente C, Finkelstein D, Johnson D, Akiyama J, Pennacchio LA, and Dyer MA (#co-first author)
Brg1 coordinates multiple processes during retinogenesis and is a tumor suppressor in retinoblastoma
Development 142, 4092-4106, 2015.

Oshikawa M, Okada K, Nakajima K, Ajioka I* (*corresponding author)
Cortical excitatory neurons become protected from cell division during neurogenesis in an Rb family-dependent manner
Development 140:2310-2320, 2013.

Ajioka I, Martins R, Bayazitov IT, Donovan S, Johnson D, Frase S, Cicero S, Boyd K, Zakharenko SS, Dyer MA.
Differentiated horizontal interneurons clonally expand to form metastatic retinoblastoma in mice
Cell 131:378-390, 2007.

【Review】

Muraoka T*, Ajioka I* (*co-corresponding author) (review)
Self-assembling Molecular Medicine for the Subacute Phase of Ischemic Stroke
Neurochem Res, 2022. in press (doi: 10.1007/s11064-022-03638-5)

Ajioka I* (*corresponding author) (review)
Coordination of proliferation and neuronal differentiation by the retinoblastoma protein family
Dev Growth Differ 56:324-334, 2014.

Center for Brain Integration Research
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan