[Nov.20] D5 Seminar - Dr. Mitinori Saitou (Kyoto University)

November 4 2026

The "D5 Medical & Life Science Seminar" course will be offered by International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS). It will run from May 2026 to March 2027, with lectures given by scientists who are affiliated with IRCMS or in collaboration with researchers at IRCMS. The lectures will be given once a month, in English, and by leading scientists in the relevant research field. Students will be taught: 1) how normal physiological functions are maintained in the human body; 2) how these systems become abnormal under certain pathophysiologic conditions; 3) why stem cells are important in animal development and homeostasis; 4) how stem cell-based approaches can help us understand disease mechanisms and find potential cure for diseases related to stem cell malfunction (e.g., cancer, aging).

All Kumamoto University members are welcome to participate.
For students who have registered for the course, please check your attendance in Moodle.

Date      : Fri. Nov. 20th, 2026
Format  : Hybrid (IRCMS lounge & Zoom)
Time      : 16:30-17:30 (JST)
Speaker : 16:30-17:30 (JST)
Title : Mechanism and in vitro reconstitution of human germ-cell development

Abstract :
    The germ-cell lineage ensures the creation of new individuals, perpetuating/diversifying the genetic and epigenetic information across the generations.  Based on the work in mice and cynomolgus monkeys, we have shown that human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are induced into human primordial germ cell-like cells (hPGCLCs), leading to the elucidation of the mechanisms of human germ-cell specification, which are evolutionarily divergent in many aspects from those in mice.  More recently, we have established a robust strategy for inducing epigenetic reprogramming and differentiation of hPGCLCs into mitotic pro spermatogonium or oogonium-like cells, the precursors for spermatogonia or oocytes, respectively, coupled with their extensive amplification (>1010-fold). These studies have established a foundation for human in vitro gametogenesis.

     Here, I will discuss our latest findings on the mechanism and in vitro reconstitution of human germ-cell development.

 Major papers:

1. Sasaki, K., Yokobayashi, S. et al. Robust In Vitro Induction of Human Germ Cell Fate from Pluripotent Stem Cells, Cell Stem Cell, 17, 178-194, 2015.
2. Yamashiro, C. et al. Generation of human oogonia from induced pluripotent stem cells in vitro, Science, 362, 356-360, 2018.
3. Murase, Y. et al. In vitro reconstitution of epigenetic reprogramming in the human germ line, Nature, 631, 170-178, 2024.

Flyer (click to enlarge)