Shigeo Tamiya, Ph.D.

Shigeo Tamiya, Ph.D.

Shigeo Tamiya, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

CONTACT INFORMATION:
301 E. Muhammad Ali Boulevard, Louisville KY 40202
Telephone: 502-852-0402
E-mail: shigeo.tamiya@louisville.edu

EDUCATION:
Ph.D.:

School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK – 2001
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING:
Laboratory of Prof. George Duncan, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK – 2001-2002; Laboratory of Prof. Nicholas Delamere, Dept of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY – 2002-2005

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

My research is focused on identifying mechanisms involved in fibrotic complications of the eye, and to prevent such fibrosis via pharmacological interventions.
Fibrosis is characterized by excessive accumulation and the following contracture of extracellular matrix that lead to tissue deformation and dysfunction. Within the eye, fibrotic complications result in reduced visual acuity and, in severe cases, blindness. My current research focuses on preventing a fibrotic complication termed proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). In PVR, development and subsequent contraction of a fibrotic scar cause the retinal foldings and/or detachment leading to visual impairment. We have established several in vitro models that allow detailed examination of cellular mechanisms associated with PVR such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition and matrix contraction, as well as a swine in vivo model of PVR to test potential therapeutic agents. These in vivo and in vitro models are utilized to achieve the ultimate goal of preventing PVR as well as fibrotic complications/diseases in general.

PUBLICATIONS

  1. Tamiya S, Liu L, Kaplan HJ: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial cells initiated upon loss of cell-cell contact. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2010, 51:2755-63. PMID: 20042656
  2. Umazume K, Barak Y, McDonald K, Liu L, Kaplan HJ, Tamiya S: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy in the Swine-a new model. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2012, 53:4910-6. PMID: 22729438
  3. Umazume K, Liu L, Scott PA, Fernandez de Castro JP, McDonald K, Kaplan HJ, Tamiya S: Inhibition of PVR with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Dasatinib, in the swine. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2013, 54:1150-9. PMID: 23341014
  4. Umazume K, Tsukahara R, Liu L, Fernandez de Castro JP, McDonald K, Kaplan HJ, Tamiya S: Role of retinal pigment epithelial cell beta-catenin signaling in experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Am J Pathol 2014, 184:1419-28. PMID: 24656918
  5. Tsukahara R, Umazume K, Yamakawa N, McDonald K, Kaplan HJ, Tamiya S: Dasatinib affects focal adhesion and myosin regulation to inhibit matrix contraction by Müller cells. Exp Eye Res 2015, 139:90-6. PMID: 26240967
  6. Tamiya S, Kaplan HJ: Role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Exp Eye Res 2016, 142:26-31. PMID: 26675400
  7. Liu Y, Ye F, Li Q, Tamiya S, Darling DS, Kaplan HJ, Dean DC: Zeb1 represses Mitf and regulates pigment synthesis, cell proliferation, and epithelial morphology. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2009, 50(11):5080-8. PMID: 19515996
  8. Tamiya S, Okafor MC, Delamere NA: Purinergic agonists stimulate lens Na-K-ATPase-mediated transport via a Src tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2007, 293(2):C790-6. PMID: 17522142
  9. Wormstone IM, Tamiya S, Anderson I, Duncan G: TGF-beta2-induced matrix modification and cell transdifferentiation in the human lens capsular bag. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2002, 43(7):2301-8. PMID: 12091431
  10. Tamiya S, Wormstone IM, Marcantonio JM, Gavrilovic J, Duncan G: Induction of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 following stress to the lens. Exp Eye Res 2000, 71(6):591-7. PMID: 11095911