The following report was written by Mr. Haruki Shirouzu (1st year doctoral student, Faculty of Medicine, Kumamoto University).

Name: Haruki Shirouzu
            Laboratory of Proteostasis in Stem Cell, IRCMS

Research Institution: Lund University

Dispatch Period: September 10th (Tue) - October 9th (Wed), 2024

Q1. Achieving Objectives and Goals for the Dispatch Program

I visited Lund University to conduct experiments using umbilical cord blood, which is difficult to obtain in Kumamoto. In the Johan Lab, they are working on gene therapy for Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA). I investigated how genes that show increased or decreased expression in DBA patients are related to the onset of DBA, using a lentiviral vector. This involved constructing plasmids, producing viruses, and introducing them into cells. Although I was unable to complete the final analysis during my stay due to being unwell for a week, I was able to learn new experimental techniques.

Q2. What are the main things you gained through this overseas dispatch program?

Global Research Career

I met two Japanese researchers who became PIs in Lund and had a discussion with them about conducting research abroad and becoming a PI. It was a great opportunity for me to reflect on my own career, including studying abroad. I realized that the process of setting up a lab is quite different from Japan, and I gained a deeper understanding of the pros and cons of conducting research in both Japan and Sweden.

Experience in Clinical Settings

When I went to Karolinska Institute to receive bone marrow samples from a DBA patient, I had the opportunity to see patients in the hospital. My research theme focuses on producing red blood cells for transfusion through in vitro culture, and I believed that this could help patients suffering from blood shortages. However, I had never actually seen patients with anemia in a hospital setting before. Having the experience of seeing a patient suffering right in front of me has made me even more determined to develop practical in vitro-produced red blood cells as soon as possible.