Sanai Sato, MD, PhD

Research Interests

Mesenchymal stem cells in the development of diabetic microangiopathy. The selective loss of retinal capillary pericytes is an initial lesion of diabetic retinopathy. If pericyte death is prevented, the progression of retinal microangiopathy may be inhibited. In angiogenesis, newly formed vessels degenerate without the recruitment of vascular smooth muscle cells/pericytes. To study vascular smooth muscle cells and capillary pericytes, transgenic mice that expresses fluorescent protein(s) under the control of a-smooth muscle actin promoter has been developed. Using this mouse, we are addressing the following questions:

1. Is there physiological turnover of vascular smooth muscle cells in the adult retina and kidney?

2. Where do newly formed smooth muscle cells originate?

3. Does diabetes affect the ability to replace aged and/or injured cells?

Education