Intravital imaging using two-photon microscopy enables single-cell-level high-resolution visualization in living tissue in anesthetized mice expressing fluorescent reporters. This approach is non-invasive and allows the study of skin under physiological conditions. Time-lapse imaging captures real-time cellular behaviors that traditional approaches cannot, and repeated imaging of the same region enables longitudinal analysis, including in vivo lineage tracing.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and serves as a barrier protecting against the external environment. Because of its constant exposure, the skin is highly prone to injury. Improper wound healing can lead to scarring, delayed healing can result in non-healing chronic wounds, and excessive repair can promote tumorigenesis. Therefore, understanding wound repair is important not only for the restoration of the barrier, but also for maintaining human health.
To understand how tissue integrity is maintained during homeostasis, we investigate how the skin epithelium interacts with its local immune niche. In the epidermis, stem cells coexist with resident immune populations. While these immune cells are well known for their roles in host defense, their contributions to regulating epithelial behavior remain poorly understood. We aim to uncover how immune–epithelial interactions coordinate cellular behaviors and establish local regulatory mechanisms that sustain tissue homeostasis.
To define how tissues restore their original structure and function after injury, we investigate how epithelial, stromal, and immune cells coordinate during wound repair. Rather than simply filling damaged areas through cell proliferation, effective repair requires the re-establishment of tissue architecture and immune barrier function while limiting excessive scar formation. We aim to identify the mechanisms that enable functional regeneration while preventing pathological outcomes such as fibrosis.
To elucidate how the surrounding microenvironment shapes epithelial cell behavior during tumor development, we investigate how epithelial cells interact with immune and stromal populations within the tumor niche. In tumors, epithelial cells exist within a complex environment that can either constrain or promote disease progression. We focus on how these interactions alter epithelial cell states and behaviors, and how changes in the local environment contribute to tumor initiation and progression.