Iowa State University
Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology
1210 Molecular Biology Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3260
Phone: 515-294-7322
Fax: 515-294-6755
Email:
Donald Sakaguchi
Professor
Dr. Sakaguchi, Associate Professor, received his B.S. in Biology and Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the State University of New York-Albany. After serving as a postdoctoral scholar and research biologist at the University of California-San Diego, Dr. Sakaguchi joined the faculty at Iowa State University as an Assistant Professor. He has served as Chair of the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience here at ISU, and is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of Biomedical Science at the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine.
Research Description
My research interests focus on developing experimental strategies for CNS rescue and repair. Many diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) are characterized by the devastating loss of neurons, including blinding diseases of the eye. For example, the permanent loss of retinal ganglion cells is a hallmark of several ophthalmic diseases including glaucoma. Recent estimates suggest that at least 3 million Americans are afflicted with glaucoma. As a potential therapy for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases we are taking a multifactorial approach - investigating cell transplantation, growth factor delivery and directed cell differentiation of stem cells. Stem cells and neural progenitor cells have recently been proposed as a unique source of transplantable cells to replace degenerating neurons and glia in the CNS. We are using this strategy to evaluate the survival, differentiation and integration of neural stem/progenitor cells transplanted into the damaged retina using rodent models of eye disease. As a second approach we are investigating the ability of neurotrophic growth factors to protect the damaged eye using polymer-based (biodegradeable polymer microspheres engineered to slowly release neurotrophic growth factors) and cell-based (genetically modified stem cells) delivery systems. Our third approach utilizes patterned substrates to direct cell growth and differentiation. By coupling these types of strategies we hope to develop methods for the effective treatment of CNS injury and disease.
E. N. Boote Jones, D.S. Sakaguchi, and S.K. Mallapragada. 2009. Development and differentiation of neural stem and progenitor cells on synthetic and biological-based surfaces. In “Biological Interactions on Materials Surfaces: Understanding and Controlling Protein, Cell, and Tissue Responses”, D.A. Puleo and R. Bizios (eds.) Springer Science/Business Media, LLC .
M.M. Harper, L. Adamson, B. Blits, M.B. Bunge, S.D. Grozdanic, D.S. Sakaguchi. 2009. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor released from engineered mesenchymal stem cells attenuates glutamate- and hydrogen peroxide-mediated death of staurosporine differentiated RGC-5s. Exp. Eye. Res 89:538-548.
M.M. Harper, E.A. Ye, C.C. Blong, M.L. Jacobson and D.S. Sakaguchi. 2009. Integrins contribute to initial morphological development and process outgrowth in adult hippocampal progenitor cells. Journal of Molecular Neuroscience :In press.
Tyra Dunn-Thomas, Drena L. Dobbs, Donald S. Sakaguchi, Michael J. Young, Vasant G. Honavar, M. Heather West Greenlee. 2008. Proteomic differentiation between murine retinal and brain-derived progenitor cells. Stem Cells and Development 17(1):119-132.
Sakaguchi, D.S., Van Hoffelen, S.J., Greenlee, M.H.W., Harper, M.H., and Au, D.. 2008. Cell birth and death in the retina of the Brazilian opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Brain Research 1195C:28-42.
Ostojic, J., Grozdanic, S.D., Syed, N.A., Hargrove, M.S., Trent, J.T. III, Kuehn, M.H., Kwon, Y.H., Kardon, R.H., and Sakaguchi, D.S. . 2008. Patterns of Distribution of Oxygen Binding Globins, Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin in Human Retina . Archives of Ophthalmology. 126(11):1530-1536.
Oh, J., Recknor, J.B., Recknor, J.C., Mallapragada, S.K., and Sakaguchi, D.S.. 2008. Soluble factors from neocortical astrocytes enhance neuronal differentiation of neural progenitor cells from adult rat hippocampus on polymer substrates.. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research A. :In press.
Sakaguchi, D.S., Klassen, H., and Young, M.J. . 2007. Transplantation of neural progenitors to the developing retina. . In “Strategies for Retinal Tissue Repair and Regeneration in Vertebrates: from Fish to Human”. Ed. C. Chiba. :113-137..
S.D. Grozdanic, A.M. Ast, T. Lazic, Y.H. Kwon, R.H. Kardon, D.M. Betts, I.M. Sonea and D.S. Sakaguchi. 2006. Morphological integration and functional assessment of transplanted neural progenitor cells in healthy and acute ischemic rat eyes. Experimental Eye Research 82(4):597-607.
Ourenik, J., Ourednik, V., Sakaguchi, D.S. and Nilsen-Hamilton, M. (eds.). 2005. Stem Cell Biology: Development and Plasticity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1049.
Klassen, H., Sakaguchi, D.S. and Young, M.J. 2004. Stem Cells and Retinal Repair. Progress in Retinal Eye Research 23: 149-181..
