Dr. Gabriele Stocco of the Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste, Italy, and Professor Katsunori Sasaki of Shinshu University’s Department of Histology and Embryology and Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBS) are currently focusing their efforts on a collaborative project to elucidate the mechanism of drug-induced pancreatitis through the use of patient-specific iPS cells.

Dr. Stocco originally gave a presentation at “the 3rd International Symposium of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences” in December, 2015. Most recently, his colleague, Dr. Marco Pelin, visited the Department of Histology and Embryology to learn new research techniques. Dr. Pelin is a post-doctoral researcher in the Pharmacogenomics Laboratory at the University of Trieste.

Dr. Pelin stayed in Japan for 3 weeks from April 3rd, 2016, and was trained on the techniques of culturing iPS cells and inducing the differentiation of pancreatic exocrine cells from iPS cells by Professor Sasaki and Assistant Professor Fengming Yue of the Department of Histology and Embryology. During his visit, he also gave a special seminar about his projects as a toxicologist, the University of Trieste, and the city itself.

After returning to Italy, Dr. Pelin is expected to take full advantage of the new research techniques that he has learned at Shinshu University for the advancement of the upcoming collaborative project between Dr. Stocco and Professor Sasaki’s laboratory.