Yu Yamaguchi
Professor
Human Genetics Program
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
United States of America
Biography
Yu Yamaguchi earned his M.D. from Tohoku University in Japan in 1981, followed by a Ph.D. in 1985, and training in obstetrics and gynecology at the same institute. Dr. Yamaguchi came to Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute for his postdoctoral training. He was appointed to the staff in 1991.
Research Interest
The goal of research in the Yamaguchi laboratory is to understand the role of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in the context of development and human disorders. The general strategy is to define the role of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans by characterizing the phenotype of mutant mice lacking the synthesis of individual glycosaminoglycans. Specifically, mutant mice lacking the Ext1 and Has genes have been created to study heparan sulfate and hyaluronan, respectively. Recent progress in genetic studies in humans and mice has begun to reveal that deficiencies in glycosaminoglycans can be the causes and/or confounding factors of human childhood disorders. The Yamaguchi lab is now working to clarify the molecular mechanisms of two such disorders (multiple hereditary exostoses and autism) in order to develop new medical treatments.
