Taisuke Kanaji, MD, PhD

 Email

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Research Focus

Platelets play crucial roles not only in hemostasis and thrombosis, but also in inflammation and immune responses. We have been studying the mechanisms of platelet generation and activation in the axis of von Willebrand Factor (VWF)-GPIb-Filamin A in the past two decades. Our recent research focused on the mechanisms of thrombopoiesis under inflammatory stress conditions and identified an alternative pathway which serves as an emergency mechanism to compensate for platelet decrease during inflammation.

Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (YARS) is one of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) that play critical roles in protein translation. YARS, when activated by proteolytic cleavage or alternative splicing, has activities beyond translation and induce platelet generation. YARS-mediated thrombopoiesis pathway is particularly relevant in inflammatory stress induced by severe viral or bacterial infections and is mediated by endosomal toll-like receptors (TLRs) and type I interferons (IFN-I). As an extension of these studies, we are also studying the pathophysiology of Antisynthetase Syndrome, an autoimmune disease caused by generation of autoantibodies against aaRSs and featured by myositis and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Our current research focus is on the mechanisms of innate and adaptive immune responses in hematopoiesis and immune homeostasis using animal models and clinical samples.

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Education

Ph.D. (Hematology), Kyushu University, Faculty of Medicine, 1999
M.D. (Medicine), Kyushu University, Faculty of Medicine, 1990

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Professional Experience

2003-2006 Assistant Professor, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Saga Medical School, Saga, Japan
2006-2008 Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurumem Japan
2009-2013 Research Scientist II, Blood Research Institute, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
2016-2017 Assistant professor, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
2018-2024 Institute Investigator, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
2025-Present Institute Investigator, Department of Translational Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA

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Awards & Professional Activities

1993- Board Certified Member, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
1997- Board Certified Member, Japanese Society of Hematology
2007- Certified Laboratory Physician, Japan Medical Board, Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine
2010- Member, American Society of Hematology

1998 Fukuoka Medical Award
2000 Research Fellowship, Sumitomo Life Welfare and Culture Foundation
2001 Overseas study grant-in-aid from The Uehara Memorial Foundation
2006-2007 Grant-in-aids from The Ishibashi Memorial Foundation 
2006-2007 Grant-in-aids from Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders
2007-2008 Grant-in-aids for scientific research from Japan Society for the Promotion
of Science  
2016-2020 NIH R01 (HL129011-01A1), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

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Selected Publications

Jones, Juli A.; Wei, Na; Cui, Haissi; Shi, Yi; Fu, Guangsen; Rauniyar, Navin; Shapiro, Ryan; Morodomi, Yosuke; Berenst, Nadine; Dumitru, Calin D.; Kanaji, Sachiko; Yates, John R.; Kanaji, Taisuke; Yang, Xiang- L. Nuclear translocation of an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase may mediate a chronic "integrated stress response". Cell Reports 2023, 42, 112632.
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Kanaji, Sachiko; Chen, Wenqian; Morodomi, Yosuke; Shapiro, Ryan; Kanaji, Taisuke; Yang, Xiang- L. Mechanistic perspectives on anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase syndrome. Trends in Biochemical Sciences 2023, 48, 288-302.
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Kanaji, Taisuke; Morodomi, Yosuke; Kanaji, Sachiko Circulating immune cells with megakaryocyte signature in response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Thrombosis Research 2022, 220, 1-4.
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Morodomi, Yosuke; Kanaji, Sachiko; Sullivan, Brian M.; Zarpellon, Alessandro; Orje, Je N.; Won, Eric; Shapiro, Ryan; Yang, Xiang- L.; Ruf, Wolfram; Schimmel, Paul; Ruggeri, Zaverio M.; Kanaji, Taisuke Inflammatory platelet production stimulated by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase mimicking viral infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022, 119, e2212659119.
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Kanaji, Sachiko; Morodomi, Yosuke; Weiler, Hartmut; Zarpellon, Alessandro; Montgomery, Robert R R.; Ruggeri, Zaverio M.; Kanaji, Taisuke The impact of aberrant von Willebrand factor-GPIba interaction on megakaryopoiesis and platelets in humanized type 2B von Willebrand disease model mouse. Haematologica 2022, 107, 2133-2143.
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Nakamura, Takayuki; Morodomi, Yosuke; Kanaji, Sachiko; Okamura, Takashi; Nagafugi, Koji; Kanaji, Taisuke Detection of anti-GPIba autoantibodies in a case of immune thrombocytopenia following COVID-19 vaccination. Thrombosis Research 2022, 209, 80-83.
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