Japanese version

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Masato Morikawa
Date of Birth: August 23, 1979
Citizenship: Japan

ORCIDORCID

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Division of Health Science,
Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization (ACRO),
Teikyo University

2-21-1 Kaga, Itabashi, Tokyo, 173-0003, Japan
e-mail: address

SUMMARY

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) family, regulate a wide range of biological processes in development and disease. Although BMPs are best known for their roles in bone formation, their effects vary greatly depending on cell type and context. For example, BMP4 helps maintain mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in a naïve state, but promotes differentiation in other pluripotent stem cells, including human ESCs and mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs). My research uses genomic and sequencing-based approaches to understand how BMPs produce these context-dependent effects in different cells.

As part of this work, I have organized a SMAD Binding Resource, a curated collection of public datasets on SMAD binding with browser-ready tracks for comparative inspection. This resource was prepared as a practical entry point for meta-analysis of signal-dependent transcription factor datasets, because their interpretation requires more than listing binding sites and must take into account stimulation time course, cell type, and experimental context.

In one project, I studied how BMPs function in mouse ESCs in two pluripotent states, naïve and primed. Our findings showed that the BMP-SMAD pathway is not essential for maintaining naïve ESCs. I am now studying how this signaling pathway affects cell fate choices during differentiation into specialized cell types, using single-cell RNA sequencing.

Another focus of my work is on endothelial cells, which line the inside of blood vessels. Disruption of BMP signaling in these cells can lead to vascular diseases such as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). I have used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) to study how SMAD proteins, key mediators of BMP signaling, bind to DNA and regulate genes. I have also examined ATOH8, a direct target of SMAD1/5. Our findings suggest that ATOH8 may help protect endothelial cells from hypoxic stress and may thereby reduce the risk of PAH. In collaboration with Dr. Maeda at Kagoshima University, we also found that ATOH8 plays a role in adult bone remodeling.

Lastly, I developed a therapeutic protein, FSTL3-Fc, to increase muscle mass by targeting specific members of the TGF-β family, including myostatin (GDF8), GDF11, and activins. We found that a modified form of FSTL3-Fc remained in the circulation longer and significantly increased muscle mass in both healthy mice and a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This approach may provide an alternative to current anti-myostatin therapies, which have shown limitations in clinical trials.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2022－Present Associate Professor, Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization (ACRO), Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
2016－2022 Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2012－2015 Postdoctoral Fellow, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
2011－2012 Project Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2006－2007Hematology Fellow, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
2004－2006Junior Resident (PGY1–2) in Internal Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

EDUCATION

2007－2011 Ph.D. in Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo (Supervisor: Prof. Kohei Miyazono)
1998－2004 M.D., The University of Tokyo

HONORS AND AWARDS

2024Research grant from The Naito Foundation
2023Research grant from the Takeda Science Foundation
2023Research grant from The Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research
2021Award for the Best Short Talk, virtual FASEB Science Research Conference, The TGF-β Superfamily Conference: Signaling in Development and Disease
Certificate
2014Best Poster Award, TGF-β meeting in Leiden 2014
Certificate
2013Scholarship for Research Abroad from Saga prefecture: ITO Genboku and SAGARA Chian Memorial Scholarship
2012Best Poster Award, TGF-β meeting in Leiden 2012
Certificate
2011Scholarship for Research Abroad from Kanae Foundation
2011Award for the best oral presentation by a young investigator, 9th Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) Scientific Conference
Certificate
2011Selected as representative of the doctoral graduating class

MEDICAL LICENSURE/BOARD CERTIFICATION

Oct 2007Board Certified Member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine #34547
Apr 2004Full Medical License (Japan) #438446

PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

Membership:
The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Biochemical Society
The Molecular Biology Society of Japan
The Japanese Cancer Association

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

    Original Research Article (full list)

  1. Hamatani H, Tabei A, Ogawa S, Suwa J, Ishihara R, Murakami Y, Sakairi T, Ikeuchi H, Kaneko Y, Handa H, Morikawa M, Hiromura K, Loss of transcription factor ATOH8 activates TGF-β signaling and exacerbates glomerulosclerosis in podocytes, Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, 330(2), F269-F284, 2026
  2. Morikawa M*, Koinuma D, Sakai H, Kanda Y, Yuki K, Okamoto K, Miyazono K*, SMAD1/5-mediated recruitment of the histone demethylase KDM1A controls cell fate programs in embryonic stem cells, J Biol Chem, 301(9), 110591, 2025 (*Co-corresponding author)
  3. Ogikubo K, Nishida J, Takahashi-Yamashiro K, Morikawa M, Ehata S, Watabe T, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, OCT-2 is associated with pro-metastatic epigenomic properties of triple-negative breast cancer cells, Cancer Sci, 116(8), 2150-2162,2025
  4. Ogami T, Tamura Y, Toss K, Yuki K, Morikawa M, Tsutsumi S, Aburatani H, Miyazawa K, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, MAB21L4 regulates the TGF-β-induced expression of target genes in epidermal keratinocytes, J Biochem, 171(4), 399-410, 2022
  5. Tanabe R, Miyazono K, Todo T, Saito N, Iwata C, Komuro A, Sakai S, Raja E, Koinuma D, Morikawa M, Westermark B, Heldin CH, PRRX1 induced by BMP signaling decreases tumorigenesis by epigenetically regulating glioma-initiating cell properties via DNA methyltransferase 3A, Mol Oncol, 16(1), 269-288, 2022
  6. Ozawa T, Miyazono K, Morikawa M*, Preparation of monovalent follistatin-like 3-Fc-fusion protein and evaluation of its effects on muscle mass in mice, STAR Protoc, 2(4), 100839, 2021 (*Corresponding author)
  7. Ozawa T, Morikawa M*, Morishita Y, Ogikubo K, Itoh F, Koinuma D, Nygren PÅ, Miyazono K*, Systemic administration of monovalent follistatin-like 3-Fc-fusion protein increases muscle mass in mice, iScience, 24(5), 102488, 2021 (*Co-corresponding author)
    Press Release
  8. Tamura Y, Morikawa M, Tanabe R, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, Anti-pyroptotic function of TGF-β is suppressed by a synthetic dsRNA analogue in triple negative breast cancer cells, Mol Oncol, 15(5), 1289-1307, 2021
  9. Yahiro Y, Maeda S, Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Jokoji G, Ijuin T, Komiya S, Kageyama R, Miyazono K, Taniguchi N, BMP-induced Atoh8 attenuates osteoclastogenesis by suppressing Runx2 transcriptional activity and reducing the Rankl/Opg expression ratio in osteoblasts, Bone Res, 8(1), 32, 2020
  10. Sundqvist A, Vasilaki E, Voytyuk O, Bai Y, Morikawa M, Moustakas A, Miyazono K, Heldin CH, ten Dijke P, van Dam H, TGFβ and EGF signaling orchestrates the AP-1- and p63 transcriptional regulation of breast cancer invasiveness, Oncogene, 39(22), 4436-4449, 2020
  11. Hokari S, Tamura Y, Kaneda A, Katsura A, Morikawa M, Murai F, Ehata S, Tsutsumi S, Ishikawa Y, Aburatani H, Kikuchi T, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, Comparative analysis of TTF-1 binding DNA regions in small-cell lung cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer, Mol Oncol, 14(2), 277-293, 2020
  12. Morikawa M, Mitani Y, Holmborn K, Kato T, Koinuma D, Maruyama J, Vasilaki E, Sawada H, Kobayashi M, Ozawa T, Morishita Y, Bessho Y, Maeda S, Ledin J, Aburatani H, Kageyama R, Maruyama K, Heldin CH, Miyazono K, The ALK-1/SMAD/ATOH8 axis attenuates hypoxic responses and protects against the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension, Sci Signal, 12(607), eaay4430, 2019
    Press Release　　 UTokyo FOCUS
  13. Raja E, Morikawa M, Nishida J, Tanabe R, Takahashi K, Seeherman SJ, Saito N, Todo T, Miyazono K, Tyrosine kinase Eph receptor A6 sensitizes glioma-initiating cells towards bone morphogenetic protein-induced apoptosis, Cancer Sci, 110(11), 3486-3496, 2019
  14. Richter A, Alexdottir MS, Magnus SH, Richter T, Morikawa M, Zwijsen A, Valdimarsdottir G, EGFL7 mediates BMP9-induced sprouting angiogenesis of endothelial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells, Stem Cell Reports, 12(6), 1250-1259, 2019
  15. Harada M, Morikawa M, Ozawa T, Kobayashi M, Tamura Y, Takahashi K, Tanabe M, Tada K, Seto Y, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, Palbociclib enhances activin-SMAD-induced cytostasis in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, Cancer Sci, 110(1), 209-220, 2019
  16. Kawasaki N, Isogaya K, Dan S, Yamori T, Takano H, Yao R, Morishita Y, Taguchi L, Morikawa M, Heldin CH, Noda T, Ehata S, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, TUFT1 interacts with RABGAP1 and regulates mTORC1 signaling, Cell Discov, 4, 1, 2018
  17. Komuro A, Raja E, Iwata C, Soda M, Isogaya K, Yuki K, Ino Y, Morikawa M, Todo T, Aburatani H, Suzuki H, Ranjit M, Natsume A, Mukasa A, Saito N, Okada H, Mano H, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, Identification of a novel fusion gene HMGA2-EGFR in glioblastoma, Int J Cancer, 142(8), 1627-1639, 2018
  18. Sundqvist A#, Morikawa M#, Ren J, Vasilaki E, Kawasaki N, Kobayashi M, Koinuma D, Aburatani H, Miyazono K, Heldin CH, van Dam H, ten Dijke P, JUNB governs a feed-forward network of TGFβ signaling that aggravates breast cancer invasion, Nucleic Acids Res, 46(3), 1180-1195, 2018 (#Co-first author)
  19. Katsura A, Tamura Y, Hokari S, Harada M, Morikawa M, Sakurai T, Takahashi K, Mizutani A, Nishida J, Yokoyama Y, Morishita Y, Murakami T, Ehata S, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, ZEB1-regulated inflammatory phenotype in breast cancer cells, Mol Oncol, 11(9), 1241-1262, 2017
  20. Raja E, Komuro A, Tanabe R, Sakai S, Ino Y, Saito N, Todo T, Morikawa M, Aburatani H, Koinuma D, Iwata C, Miyazono K, Bone morphogenetic protein signaling mediated by ALK-2 and DLX2 regulates apoptosis in glioma-initiating cells, Oncogene, 36(35), 4963-4974, 2017
  21. Vasilaki E, Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Mizutani A, Hirano Y, Ehata S, Sundqvist A, Kawasaki N, Cedervall J, Olsson AK, Aburatani H, Moustakas A, Miyazono K, Heldin CH, Ras and TGF-β signaling enhance cancer progression by promoting the ΔNp63 transcriptional program, Sci Signal, 9(442), ra84, 2016
  22. Sakurai T, Isogaya K, Sakai S, Morikawa M, Morishita Y, Ehata S, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, RNA binding motif protein 47 inhibits Nrf2 activity to suppress tumor growth in lung adenocarcinoma, Oncogene, 35(38), 5000–5009, 2016
  23. Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Mizutani A, Kawasaki N, Holmborn K, Sundqvist A, Tsutsumi S, Watabe T, Aburatani H, Heldin CH, Miyazono K, BMP sustains embryonic stem cell self-renewal through distinct functions of different Krüppel-like factors, Stem Cell Reports, 6(1), 64-73, 2016
    UTokyo FOCUS
  24. Arase M, Horiguchi K, Ehata S, Morikawa M, Tsutsumi S, Aburatani H, Miyazono K, Koinuma D, Transforming growth factor-β-induced lncRNA-Smad7 inhibits apoptosis of mouse breast cancer JygMC(A) cells, Cancer Sci, 105(8), 974-982, 2014
  25. Kaneda A, Fujita T, Anai M, Yamamoto S, Nagae G, Morikawa M, Tsuji S, Oshima M, Miyazono K, Aburatani H, Activation of Bmp2-Smad1 signal and its regulation by coordinated alteration of H3K27 trimethylation in Ras-induced senescence, PLoS Genet, 7(11), e1002359, 2011
  26. Mizutani A, Koinuma D, Tsutsumi S, Kamimura N, Morikawa M, Suzuki HI, Imamura T, Miyazono K, Aburatani H, Cell type-specific target selection by combinatorial binding of Smad2/3 proteins and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α in HepG2 cells, J Biol Chem, 286(34), 29848-29860, 2011
  27. Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Tsutsumi S, Vasilaki E, Kanki Y, Heldin CH, Aburatani H, Miyazono K, ChIP-seq reveals cell type-specific binding patterns of BMP-specific Smads and a novel binding motif, Nucleic Acids Res, 39(20), 8712-8727, 2011
  28. Yoshimatsu Y, Yamazaki T, Mihira H, Itoh T, Suehiro J, Yuki K, Harada K, Morikawa M, Iwata C, Minami T, Morishita Y, Kodama T, Miyazono K, Watabe T, Ets family members induce lymphangiogenesis through physical and functional interaction with Prox1, J Cell Sci, 124(Pt 16), 2753-2762, 2011
  29. Ishiura H, Morikawa M, Hamada M, Watanabe T, Kako S, Chiba S, Motokura T, Hangaishi A, Shibahara J, Akahane M, Goto J, Kwak S, Kurokawa M, Tsuji S, Lymphomatoid granulomatosis involving central nervous system successfully treated with rituximab alone, Arch Neurol, 65(5), 662-665, 2008
  30. Ohka S, Matsuda N, Tohyama K, Oda T, Morikawa M, Kuge S, Nomoto A, Receptor (CD155)-dependent endocytosis of poliovirus and retrograde axonal transport of the endosome, J Virol, 78(13), 7186-7198, 2004

    31. Review Articles

  31. Miyazono K, Katsuno Y, Koinuma D, Ehata S, Morikawa M, Intracellular and extracellular TGF-β signaling in cancer: some recent topics, Front Med, 12(4), 387-411, 2018
  32. Morikawa M, Derynck R, Miyazono K, TGF-β and the TGF-β family: context-dependent roles in cell and tissue physiology, Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol, 8(5), a021873, 2016
  33. Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Miyazono K, Heldin CH, Genome-wide mechanisms of Smad binding, Oncogene, 32(13), 1609-1615, 2013
  34. Miyazono K, Kamiya Y, Morikawa M, Bone morphogenetic protein receptors and signal transduction, J Biochem, 147(1), 35-51, 2010

LECTURES/CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

International:
Oct 12, 2022 13th International BMP Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia
"Follistatin-like 3-based ligand trap increases muscle mass in mice" (Oral, Invited)
Morikawa M, Miyazono K
July 21, 2021 virtual FASEB Science Research Conference, The TGF-β Superfamily Conference: Signaling in Development and Disease
"Systemic administration of monovalent follistatin-like 3-Fc-fusion protein increases muscle mass in mice" (Selected Poster Oral)
Morikawa M, Ozawa T, Miyazono K
Oct 24, 2018 12th International BMP Conference, Tokyo, Japan
"The ALK-1/SMAD/ATOH8 axis protects against hypoxia and development of pulmonary arterial hypertension" (Oral)
Morikawa M, Mitani Y, Holmborn K, Koinuma D, Kageyama R, Maruyama K, Heldin CH, Miyazono K
Sep 18, 2014 10th International BMP Conference, Berlin, Germany
"Differential roles of BMP-induced Smad and non-Smad signals in naïve mouse ES cells" (Oral, Invited)
Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Heldin CH, Miyazono K
Oct 28, 2013 3rd International Symposium by JSPS Core-to-Core Program, Cooperative International Framework in TGF-β Family Signaling
"Differential roles of BMP signaling in embryonic stem cells" (Oral)
Morikawa M
May 24, 20119th Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) Scientific Conference, Antalya, Turkey
"Genome-wide analysis of Smad1/5 binding sitesin endothelial cells" (Oral)
Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Tsutsumi S, Vasilaki E, Heldin CH, Aburatani H, Miyazono K
National:
Mar 6, 2011 4th retreat of Global COE, Integrative Life Science Based on the Study of Biosignaling Mechanisms, Hokuto
"Genome-wide analysis of Smad1/5 binding sitesin endothelial cells" (Oral)
Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Tsutsumi S, Vasilaki E, Heldin CH, Aburatani H, Miyazono K
Dec 9, 2010 33rd Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan, Kobe
"Genome-wide analysis of Smad1/5 binding sitesin endothelial cells" (Oral)
Morikawa M, Koinuma D, Tsutsumi S, Vasilaki E, Heldin CH, Aburatani H, Miyazono K
Seminar:
Oct 8, 2013Center for Human Genetics and VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, KU Leuven, Belgium
"Genome-wide mechanisms of BMP/Smad signaling"
Morikawa M

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