Kazumasa Aoyama
Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Assistant Professor
Research Overview
This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms of gene expression regulation based on epigenetics, particularly histone modifications. Our previous work has focused on Polycomb repressive complexes (PRC2), advancing the understanding of transcriptional regulation mediated by histone H3K27 methylation and its roles in hematological malignancies. Building on these findings, we will integrate comprehensive analyses of histone modifications with multi-omics approaches, including ChIP-seq and RNA-seq, as well as proteomics and genome editing technologies, to systematically dissect the relationship between chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation. In particular, we aim to understand transcriptional control mediated by post-translational modifications such as histone acetylation and methylation, and their integration with intracellular signaling pathways. More recently, we have identified that coffee can modulate the epigenome, and are currently investigating their effects on histone modifications and gene expression. We are also examining age-associated epigenetic alterations to elucidate the interplay between aging, lifestyle factors, and chromatin regulation. Ultimately, this research will identify novel therapeutic targets and develop drug discovery strategies, particularly for hematological malignancies, contributing to preventive medicine and the extension of healthy lifespan.
Specialty
Molecular Biology, Epigenetics (histone modifications) , Drug Discovery Research, Gene Expression Regulation, Post-translational Modifications (PTMs), Intracellular Signal Transduction, Hematological Malignancies