Education

• Ph.D., 1999, The University of Tokyo, Japan

• D.V.M., 1995, The Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, Japan

• B.S., 1995, The University of Tokyo, Japan (Veterinary Medicine)

Research

Application of stem cells to developmental modeling and cell-based therapy

Our long term objective is to apply stem cell technology to expand integrative sciences in both basic and translational research. The current research focuses on elucidating mechanisms of brain development in mammals using stem cells and finding possible applications of these cells for neurodegenerative diseases.

On the basic science front, we have expanded our basic studies using human neural progenitor/stem cells to elucidate novel effects and their underlying mechanisms of steroids and excitatory amino acids. We demonstrated that a neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has powerful effects on the cell proliferation of human neural stem cells. DHEA is among the most abundant naturally occurring steroids in the blood of young humans, but levels decline with age and its physiological effects are poorly understood. Furthermore, we have continued to extend his own studies to move from DHEA to other factors such as glutamate and epidermal growth factor (EGF) involved with human neural stem cell growth and differentiation.

On the translational front, we are using human neural progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells as therapeutical applications for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The overall aim of our current idea is to provide growth factor delivery using stem cells to spinal cord (i.e. cell body) and and/or the skeletal muscle (i.e. nerve terminals of motor neurons) to establish whether this can protect motor neurons from degeneration in a rat model of ALS. We are also interested in the underlying mechanisms of sexual dimorphism in ALS and possible therapeutic applications of sex steroids on ALS disease progression. We believe knowledge obtained from theses projects will provide us important information for further integrative and powerful approaches with stem cell transplantation and steroid replacement therapy.

University of Wisconsin Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center
 

Responsibilities

Assistant Professor

Recent Publications

Suzuki M, Lee H-C, Kayasuga Y, Chiba S, Nedachi T, Matsuwaki T, Yamanouchi K, Nishihara M. Roles of progranulin in sexual differentiation of the developing brain and adult neurogenesis. Journal of Reproduction and Development, 55: 531-535, 2009.

Suzuki M, McHugh J, Tork C, Shelley B, Hayes A, Bellantuono I, Aebischer P, Svendsen CN. Direct muscle delivery of GDNF with human mesenchymal stem cells improves motor neuron survival and function in a rat model of familial ALS. Molecular Therapy, 16: 2002-2010, 2008.

Suzuki M, Svendsen CN. Combining growth factor and stem cell therapy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Trends Neurosci, 31(4):192-8, 2008.

Nelson A, Suzuki M, Svendsen CN. A high concentration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) increases the growth and survival of neurogenic radial glial cells within human neurosphere cultures. Stem Cells, 26: 348-355, 2008.

Emborg ME, Ebert AD, Moirano J, Peng S, Suzuki M, Capowski E, Joers V, Roitberg BZ, Aebischer P, Svendsen CN. GDNF-secreting human neural progenitor cells increase tyrosin hydroxylase and VMAT2 expression in MTPT-treated cynomolgus monkeys. Cell Transplantation, 17: 383-95, 2008.

Suzuki M, McHugh J, Tork C, Shelley B, Klein SM, Aebischer P, Svendsen CN. GDNF secreting human neural progenitor cells protect dying motor neurons, but not their projection to muscle, in a rat model of familial ALS. PLoS ONE, 2: e689, 2007.

Suzuki M, Tork C, Shelley B, McHugh M, Wallace K, Klein SM, Lindstrom MJ, Svendsen CN. Sexual dimorphism in disease onset and progression of a rat model of ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 8: 20-25, 2007.

Suzuki M, Nelson AD, Eickstaedt JB, Wallace K, Wright LS, Svendsen CN. Glutamate enhances proliferation and neurogenesis in human neural progenitor cell cultures derived from the fetal cortex. Eur J Neurosci, 24:645-53, 2006.

Klein SM, Behrstock S, McHugh J, Hoffmann K, Wallace K, Suzuki M, Aebischer P, Svendsen CN. GDNF delivery using human neural progenitor cells in a rat model of ALS. Human Gene Therapy, 16, 509-521, 2005.

Suzuki M, Wright LS, Marwah P, Lardy HA, Svendsen CN. Mitotic and neurogenic effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on human neural stem cell cultures derived from the fetal cortex. PNAS, 101, 3202-3207, 2004.