Rio Sugimura
@riosugimura.bsky.social
Synthetic immunology and cell fate. Hong Kong University
- The first blood comes from the hypoblast that contributes to hemoglobin+ phagocyte-like cells;
- CDX2 marks hypoblast blood that sustains oxygen supply in embryos before heart formation;
- Erythro-core regulatory network endows erythropoiesis to human hypoblasts and phagocytes.
- CDX2 marks hypoblast blood that sustains oxygen supply in embryos before heart formation;
- Erythro-core regulatory network endows erythropoiesis to human hypoblasts and phagocytes.
November 8, 2025 at 10:11 AM
- The first blood comes from the hypoblast that contributes to hemoglobin+ phagocyte-like cells;
- CDX2 marks hypoblast blood that sustains oxygen supply in embryos before heart formation;
- Erythro-core regulatory network endows erythropoiesis to human hypoblasts and phagocytes.
- CDX2 marks hypoblast blood that sustains oxygen supply in embryos before heart formation;
- Erythro-core regulatory network endows erythropoiesis to human hypoblasts and phagocytes.
Now we employ CRISPRa and are discovering a core regulatory network to endow erythropoiesis to hypoblast as well as phagocytes. 8/
November 8, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Now we employ CRISPRa and are discovering a core regulatory network to endow erythropoiesis to hypoblast as well as phagocytes. 8/
Indeed, the red cell precursor from hypoblast is mesenchymal and EMT+. What’s more, they are molecularly and functionally similar to phagocytes. What does it mean? Phagocytes are one of the oldest immune cells in evo-devo. What if hypoblast repurposed a phagocyte to give a new role? Carry oxygen? 7/
November 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Indeed, the red cell precursor from hypoblast is mesenchymal and EMT+. What’s more, they are molecularly and functionally similar to phagocytes. What does it mean? Phagocytes are one of the oldest immune cells in evo-devo. What if hypoblast repurposed a phagocyte to give a new role? Carry oxygen? 7/
But the remaining question is, why do we need to make red blood cells so early?
We are actually a macrophage lab, and got inspired at GRC Phagocytes this year.
The heart beats 1 week after blood appears. Blood should do its job without circulation. Should the early blood be snaky and locomotive…? 6
We are actually a macrophage lab, and got inspired at GRC Phagocytes this year.
The heart beats 1 week after blood appears. Blood should do its job without circulation. Should the early blood be snaky and locomotive…? 6
November 8, 2025 at 10:08 AM
But the remaining question is, why do we need to make red blood cells so early?
We are actually a macrophage lab, and got inspired at GRC Phagocytes this year.
The heart beats 1 week after blood appears. Blood should do its job without circulation. Should the early blood be snaky and locomotive…? 6
We are actually a macrophage lab, and got inspired at GRC Phagocytes this year.
The heart beats 1 week after blood appears. Blood should do its job without circulation. Should the early blood be snaky and locomotive…? 6
We used two independent human embryo models and LARRY molecular barcoding to identify hypoblast transition to erythroblasts. CDX2 marks such a transition, and its KO led embryo model suffers hypoxia. 5/
November 8, 2025 at 10:08 AM
We used two independent human embryo models and LARRY molecular barcoding to identify hypoblast transition to erythroblasts. CDX2 marks such a transition, and its KO led embryo model suffers hypoxia. 5/
Hypoblast was believed to be a dead end of development, only contributing to the yolk sac structure, or AVE. But primate embryos suggest hypoblast may contribute to extraembryonic mesenchymal cells, that we saw in our human embryo models too. 4/
November 8, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Hypoblast was believed to be a dead end of development, only contributing to the yolk sac structure, or AVE. But primate embryos suggest hypoblast may contribute to extraembryonic mesenchymal cells, that we saw in our human embryo models too. 4/
We wondered if some blood might begin before gastrulation. These are epiblast, trophoblast, and hypoblast. Epiblast undergoes gastrulation to follow the long track to make blood. Trophoblast is missing in some embryo models, but we still see such early blood. Then hypoblast…? 3/
November 8, 2025 at 10:07 AM
We wondered if some blood might begin before gastrulation. These are epiblast, trophoblast, and hypoblast. Epiblast undergoes gastrulation to follow the long track to make blood. Trophoblast is missing in some embryo models, but we still see such early blood. Then hypoblast…? 3/
We hematologists are taught that all blood starts from gastrulation. When we precisely followed these steps that mimic gastrulation, hematoendothelial mesoderm, and hematopoiesis, it took 2 weeks. But some red cell precursors appear much faster, like a few days… 2/
November 8, 2025 at 10:06 AM
We hematologists are taught that all blood starts from gastrulation. When we precisely followed these steps that mimic gastrulation, hematoendothelial mesoderm, and hematopoiesis, it took 2 weeks. But some red cell precursors appear much faster, like a few days… 2/
Our latest preprint.
Blood originates in hypoblasts during embryonic development.
As a blood generator from a petri dish, one question has always stuck in my mind for 15 years. Why does some blood come so fast from iPSC? 1/
Blood originates in hypoblasts during embryonic development.
As a blood generator from a petri dish, one question has always stuck in my mind for 15 years. Why does some blood come so fast from iPSC? 1/
November 8, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Our latest preprint.
Blood originates in hypoblasts during embryonic development.
As a blood generator from a petri dish, one question has always stuck in my mind for 15 years. Why does some blood come so fast from iPSC? 1/
Blood originates in hypoblasts during embryonic development.
As a blood generator from a petri dish, one question has always stuck in my mind for 15 years. Why does some blood come so fast from iPSC? 1/
Huge congrats to our very first PhD student David Xiang for successful defense!
Kudoso to our team, committee members, collaborators to support his work on human gastruloid and critical genes for transcriptional regulation in organogenesis
Kudoso to our team, committee members, collaborators to support his work on human gastruloid and critical genes for transcriptional regulation in organogenesis
September 3, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Huge congrats to our very first PhD student David Xiang for successful defense!
Kudoso to our team, committee members, collaborators to support his work on human gastruloid and critical genes for transcriptional regulation in organogenesis
Kudoso to our team, committee members, collaborators to support his work on human gastruloid and critical genes for transcriptional regulation in organogenesis
Great catch up with Dongrui, @liliulab.bsky.social and Weike at Westlake U visit sharing human embryo model and CAR macrophage works. Thanks @hkusbms.bsky.social for organizing this opportunity!
August 28, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Great catch up with Dongrui, @liliulab.bsky.social and Weike at Westlake U visit sharing human embryo model and CAR macrophage works. Thanks @hkusbms.bsky.social for organizing this opportunity!
This covid drawing on the corner of my white board survived >3 years. Our "MD Alex" drew this then medical student, is residency now. His study www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 21, 2025 at 2:43 AM
This covid drawing on the corner of my white board survived >3 years. Our "MD Alex" drew this then medical student, is residency now. His study www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Summer intern season. We are delighted to host international students from France, Germany, the USA as well as local Laidlaw Scholars.
July 29, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Summer intern season. We are delighted to host international students from France, Germany, the USA as well as local Laidlaw Scholars.
Congrats Alex for the Best Oral Presentation at The Singapore Cell and Gene Therapy SCGT2025. Terrific job of immune-vascular organoids @alex-siufungto.bsky.social
July 18, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Congrats Alex for the Best Oral Presentation at The Singapore Cell and Gene Therapy SCGT2025. Terrific job of immune-vascular organoids @alex-siufungto.bsky.social
Research Mixer hosted by @hkusbms.bsky.social ! Evo-devo journey of immune cells. Why and when blood becomes immune cells?
June 28, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Research Mixer hosted by @hkusbms.bsky.social ! Evo-devo journey of immune cells. Why and when blood becomes immune cells?
HKU School of Biomedical Engineering hosts Jun Hong Choi from MSKCC.
Synthetic circuits for recording cell histories.
June 26, 9pm NY time
June 27, 9am Singapore time
Zoom via the QR code
All are welcome
Synthetic circuits for recording cell histories.
June 26, 9pm NY time
June 27, 9am Singapore time
Zoom via the QR code
All are welcome
June 17, 2025 at 10:34 AM
HKU School of Biomedical Engineering hosts Jun Hong Choi from MSKCC.
Synthetic circuits for recording cell histories.
June 26, 9pm NY time
June 27, 9am Singapore time
Zoom via the QR code
All are welcome
Synthetic circuits for recording cell histories.
June 26, 9pm NY time
June 27, 9am Singapore time
Zoom via the QR code
All are welcome
Wild week. Every day organizing a symposium, conference session, invited seminars.
Thanks Kathy Lui, Chloe Kan and all speakers and visitors.
Lots of new meet and reunion of my last two decades
Thanks Kathy Lui, Chloe Kan and all speakers and visitors.
Lots of new meet and reunion of my last two decades
June 15, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Wild week. Every day organizing a symposium, conference session, invited seminars.
Thanks Kathy Lui, Chloe Kan and all speakers and visitors.
Lots of new meet and reunion of my last two decades
Thanks Kathy Lui, Chloe Kan and all speakers and visitors.
Lots of new meet and reunion of my last two decades
We CTSCB_HK are elated to host Mingxia Gu from UCLA to our invited seminar series on stem cells
Vascularized organoids
Exciting start of the ISSCR week at HK
Vascularized organoids
Exciting start of the ISSCR week at HK
June 8, 2025 at 11:57 PM
We CTSCB_HK are elated to host Mingxia Gu from UCLA to our invited seminar series on stem cells
Vascularized organoids
Exciting start of the ISSCR week at HK
Vascularized organoids
Exciting start of the ISSCR week at HK
One day ahead of our Hematology & Immunology Symposium at CUHKMedicine
Kathy Lui and I host impressive speaker lineups
Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li, @liliyanglab.bsky.social Giulia Adriani, Bin Zhou, Jun Shen, Li Qian, Andras Nagy, Lika Drakhlis, Albert Cheung
Kathy Lui and I host impressive speaker lineups
Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li, @liliyanglab.bsky.social Giulia Adriani, Bin Zhou, Jun Shen, Li Qian, Andras Nagy, Lika Drakhlis, Albert Cheung
June 8, 2025 at 11:56 PM
One day ahead of our Hematology & Immunology Symposium at CUHKMedicine
Kathy Lui and I host impressive speaker lineups
Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li, @liliyanglab.bsky.social Giulia Adriani, Bin Zhou, Jun Shen, Li Qian, Andras Nagy, Lika Drakhlis, Albert Cheung
Kathy Lui and I host impressive speaker lineups
Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li, @liliyanglab.bsky.social Giulia Adriani, Bin Zhou, Jun Shen, Li Qian, Andras Nagy, Lika Drakhlis, Albert Cheung
Good jobs by Chloe, @alex-siufungto.bsky.social and Tay from our lab at graduate students idea pitch session @hkusbms.bsky.social
May 30, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Good jobs by Chloe, @alex-siufungto.bsky.social and Tay from our lab at graduate students idea pitch session @hkusbms.bsky.social
Long haul ✈️ reading.
Immunoengineering
Immunoengineering
May 26, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Long haul ✈️ reading.
Immunoengineering
Immunoengineering
Honored to present our latest work on next-generation CAR-macrophages at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Looking forward to discussions
May 25, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Honored to present our latest work on next-generation CAR-macrophages at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Looking forward to discussions
Hematology & Immunology Symposium at HK, June 10 held @CUHKMedicine
Kathy Lui, Lili Yang, Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li discuss blood origin, human embryo model, CAR-NKT, reprogramming immunotherapy, vascular organoid. Free register from QR
Kathy Lui, Lili Yang, Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li discuss blood origin, human embryo model, CAR-NKT, reprogramming immunotherapy, vascular organoid. Free register from QR
May 23, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Hematology & Immunology Symposium at HK, June 10 held @CUHKMedicine
Kathy Lui, Lili Yang, Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li discuss blood origin, human embryo model, CAR-NKT, reprogramming immunotherapy, vascular organoid. Free register from QR
Kathy Lui, Lili Yang, Filipe Pereira, Mingxia Gu, Lizhong Li discuss blood origin, human embryo model, CAR-NKT, reprogramming immunotherapy, vascular organoid. Free register from QR
kathyLui & I host exciting talks of
Blood origin
In vivo lineage tracing
Human embryoid
Vascular organoid
Cardiac organoid
Cardiac Regeneration
Next-gen CAR
Immuno engineering
Immuno reprogramming
Blood origin
In vivo lineage tracing
Human embryoid
Vascular organoid
Cardiac organoid
Cardiac Regeneration
Next-gen CAR
Immuno engineering
Immuno reprogramming
May 14, 2025 at 1:03 AM
kathyLui & I host exciting talks of
Blood origin
In vivo lineage tracing
Human embryoid
Vascular organoid
Cardiac organoid
Cardiac Regeneration
Next-gen CAR
Immuno engineering
Immuno reprogramming
Blood origin
In vivo lineage tracing
Human embryoid
Vascular organoid
Cardiac organoid
Cardiac Regeneration
Next-gen CAR
Immuno engineering
Immuno reprogramming
Special thanks to the opening remark by Shuibing Chen, Weil Cornel Medicine and ISSCR Board of Director
May 4, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Special thanks to the opening remark by Shuibing Chen, Weil Cornel Medicine and ISSCR Board of Director