Dr Ken Suzuki

Ken Suzuki, MD PhD

Visiting Professor, Cell and Gene Therapy 

Ken Suzuki is a clinician-scientist who has completed a clinical training as a cardiovascular surgeon in Japan. His research career started at Osaka University, Japan, where he was awarded a PhD for studies on gene therapy for myocardial protection against ischaemia-reperfusion injury using heat shock protein 70 (J Clin Invest. 1997;99:1645-1650). Following an invitation by Sir Magdi Yacoub, FRS, he then moved to the Harefield Heart Science Centre, Imperial College London in 1998 where he successfully completed a large series of important projects in cell and gene therapy for treating heart diseases. After this fruitful work with Sir Magdi, Suzuki took up the chair of a new research group within the William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London in April 2007, while he remain in Harefield as Visiting Professor. Since then, he has organised a well-balanced, multi-disciplinary group in William Harvey Research Institute, equipped with the full range of research expertise needed to carry out translational cardiovascular research. Professor Suzuki is a former MRC Senior Clinical Fellow (2003-2008).

Research interest

Suzuki’s research strategy acknowledges that the success of clinical trials of cell therapy critically depends on the resolution of several fundamental issues by further laboratory research. His research programme has focused upon various aspects of behaviour of grafted cells into a cardiac environment and the interaction between native and grafted cells at genetic, molecular, and cellular levels. His research achievements include the clarification of the acute dynamics of grafted cells in the heart and the development of strategies to enhance graft survival; the development of original cell-delivery models including antegrade and retrograde intracoronary infusion; the role of connexin 43 which favours cell-cell connection between myoblasts and cardiomyocytes when over-expressed. In addition, he has demonstrated that implantation of genetically modified myoblasts which over-express VEGF and IL-1 receptor antagonist exhibit markedly enhanced therapeutic benefits as cell-based gene therapy. More recent research projects include the study of paracrine effects of cell therapy, cardiac side population cells, transendothelial migration of donor cells into the myocardial interstitium and the role of inflammatory response in cell therapy-mediated therapeutic effects. 

Professor Suzuki’s current work continues to primarily focus on translational research with an emphasis on cell therapy for treating heart failure using stem/progenitor cells, with the firm aim of establishing this therapy in the clinical arena. His programme aims to comprehensively elucidate various aspects of graft behaviour in the cardiac environment, such as survival, proliferation, differentiation (to cardiomyocyte and vascular cells), cell-cell communication, integration, fusion, and indirect (paracrine) interaction with host myocardium at molecular, biochemical, and cellular levels. In parallel, his group aims to further refine cell therapy for the treatment of heart failure with new, original ideas and technologies. These include:

• Modulating the cellular behaviours of donor cells using physical, chemical and genetic approaches
• Development of novel, more effective cell-delivery method using a temperature-responsive cell sheet.
• Enhancing the early endothelial interactions of progenitor cells following intracoronary injection
• Cardiomyogenic differentiation of embryonic and adult stem cells
• Identification of a new population of cardiac resident stem cells
• Investigation of donor cell dysfunction due to senescence

In addition, he is also interested in other themes in heart research, including:

• Post infarction myocardial inflammation and regeneration
• Myocardial protection using novel strategies
• Telomere biology and heart disease

Please also visit 

   http://www.whri.qmul.ac.uk/staff/suzuki.html