Basic Information

Faculty

• Faculty of Medicine

Email Address

• Email Address

  seo.wooseok.2ikyoto-u.ac.jp

Professional Memberships

• From Nov. 2019, To Present

  Japanese Cancer Association (JCA)
• From Nov. 2009, To Present

  Japanese Society of Immunology (JSI)

Academic Degree

• 30 Oct. 2002

  カルガリー大学修士（理学）
• 30 May 2008

  ブリティッシュコロンビア大学博士（医学）

Academic Resume (Undergraduate School/Majors)

• 淸州大学, 遺伝工学部, 卒業

Research History

• From Aug. 2025, To Present

  Kyoto University FOREST Principal Investigator
• From Apr. 2025, To Present

  Kyoto University, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology (CCII), Division of Cancer Immune Multicellular System Regulation, Associate Professor
• From Apr. 2025, To Present

  Nagoya University, Graduate School of Medicine, Visiting Academic Staff
• From Apr. 2023, To Mar. 2025

  Nagoya University, Institute for Advanced Study, Young Researcher Unit, Unit Leader
• From Nov. 2019, To Mar. 2025

  Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Program in Integrated Medicine・Department of Immunology, Designated Associate Professor
• From Nov. 2009, To Oct. 2019

  RIKEN, Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS)・Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation, Researcher
• From Apr. 2013, To Mar. 2017

  RIKEN, Special Postdoctoral Researcher
• From Oct. 2010, To Mar. 2013

  RIKEN, JSPS Special Postdoctoral Researcher
• From May 2008, To Oct. 2009

  University of British Columbia, Biomedical Research Centre, Researcher

Profile

• Profile

  ＜Research Experience＞

  
  

  RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Laboratory for Transcriptional Regulation
  I devoted myself to elucidating the "fundamental principles of gene expression control"—understanding how the genomic blueprint is decoded to construct sophisticated biological systems. Under the mentorship of Team Leader Dr. Ichiro Taniuchi, I focused on the functional analysis of transcription factor complexes and the dynamics of higher-order chromatin structures. Through this work, I successfully described the molecular processes governing differentiation commitment into specific cell lineages (such as T cells). During this period, I established a research style that highly integrates biochemical experimentation (Wet), such as protein-DNA interaction analysis, with bioinformatics analysis (Dry), including ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq. This technical foundation, which enables the comprehensive, end-to-end analysis of multi-layered omics data—ranging from transcriptional networks and signal transduction to epigenetic regulation—remains the core of my current research.

  
  

   

  
  

  Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Immunology
  Building upon the biochemical and molecular biological techniques cultivated at RIKEN, I expanded my research scope to address "the dysregulation of molecular mechanisms in disease." In the laboratory of Prof. Hiroyoshi Nishikawa, I analyzed the mechanisms of cellular dysfunction (exhaustion) within the cancer microenvironment from the perspectives of metabolism, signal transduction, and transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, based on the unique concept of "neuro-immune crosstalk" that emerged during my research, I launched and served as the Unit Leader for an "Interdisciplinary Research Unit" (supported by the MEXT Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities). leading the creation of a new academic field by combining classical biochemical methods with cutting-edge genetic engineering to foster interdisciplinary fusion.

  
  

   

  
  

    ＜Current Research＞

  
  

  Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology (CCII), Division of Cancer Immune Multicellular System Regulation
  https://www.ccii.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp/research/divisions-labs/division-of-cancer-immune-multicellular-system-regulation/
  Currently at Kyoto University, I am analyzing the interaction of signal transduction molecules exchanged between cancer cells, immune cells, and neurons, as well as the downstream transcriptional reprogramming mechanisms, from the perspectives of biochemistry and molecular cell biology. My goal is to achieve a quantitative understanding of the behavior of individual molecules within complex tissue environments.

  
  

   

  
  

  Kyoto University / JST FOREST Program (Shiomi Panel) Principal Investigator
  https://www.jst.go.jp/souhatsu/research/panel_shiomi.html
  Under the JST FOREST Program (Souhatsu), I am pursuing the "Elucidation of the Molecular Entity and Function of Transcription Factories via Locus-Specific Analysis." I aim to uncover the molecular basis of the "transcription factory" hypothesis, where multiple genes gather in specific nuclear regions to undergo efficient transcriptional regulation. The core of this research lies in the use of Locus-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation to "biochemically isolate" transcription complexes formed at specific genomic regions. This approach enables the comprehensive identification and quantification of protein groups accumulated at specific gene loci (local environments), overcoming the limitations of averaged data provided by conventional ChIP-seq. Using mouse immune cells as a model, I aim to reveal the protein interactome constituting transcription factories and establish the "local molecular rules" governing gene expression control.

  
  

  
  ＜Main research tools＞

  
  

  I approach the analysis of the molecular basis of biological phenomena by fusing biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, and bioinformatics. I possess particular strength in technologies that elucidate the molecular environment of specific genomic regions.

  
  

  > Locus-Specific Analysis: Isolation of specific genomic regions via Locus-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation.

  
  

  
  > Biochemistry & Protein Analysis: Western Blotting, ELISA, Immunoprecipitation (IP), and intracellular signal analysis via Flow Cytometry.

  
  

  
  > Genome & Epigenome Analysis: Comprehensive analysis using Next-Generation Sequencing (RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq) and Bioinformatics.

  
  

  
  > Nuclear Structure & Chromatin Analysis: 3C (Chromosome Conformation Capture), Hi-C.

  
  

  
  > Developmental Engineering: Generation and phenotypic analysis of genetically modified mice.

  
  

   

  
  

   

ID,URL

• J-Global ID

  202001015313895886

• Researcher number

  40574116

researchmap URL

• https://researchmap.jp/seow

Research

Research Interests

• Chromatin structure
• Epigenome
• Transcriptional regulation
• Bioinformatics
• Immune cell
• Cancer Immunology

Research Areas

• Life sciences, Molecular biology, Life Science / Molecular Biology
• Life sciences, Immunology, Life Science / Immunology

Papers

• Genetic Disruption of Pdcd-1 Upstream Enhancer Boosts T Cell Function and Antitumor Responses

  Chandsultana Jerin; Wooseok Seo; Hiroyoshi Nishikawa

  Immunology Letters, Mar. 2026, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• Reticulocalbin1-mediated regulation of calcium homeostasis in naïve T lymphoncytes

  Takeru Kobayashi; Wooseok Seo; Norihisa Ichimura; Yusuke Urata; Hideharu Hibi; Hiroyoshi Nishikawa

  Cell Calcium, Jan. 2026, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Corresponding author

  Access this paper :

  
• Neuropeptidergic input from the lateral hypothalamus to the suprachiasmatic nucleus alters the circadian period in mice

  Chi Jung Hung; Chang-Ting Tsai; Sheikh Mizanur Rahaman; Akihiro Yamanaka; Wooseok Seo; Tatsushi Yokoyama; Masayuki Sakamoto; Daisuke Ono

  The Journal of Neuroscience, 02 Dec. 2024, Peer-reviewed

  
• Protocol for acquiring samples to assess the impact of microplastics on immune microenvironments in the mouse intestine

  Akihito Harusato; Wooseok Seo; Hirohito Abo; Yoshitaka Nakanishi; Hiroyoshi Nishikawa; Yoshito Itoh

  STAR Protocols, Dec. 2023

  
• Identification of a novel enhancer essential forSatb1expression in TH2 cells and activated ILC2s

  Aneela Nomura; Tetsuro Kobayashi; Wooseok Seo; Michiko Ohno-Oishi; Kiyokazu Kakugawa; Sawako Muroi; Hideyuki Yoshida; Takaho A Endo; Kazuyo Moro; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Life Science Alliance, Aug. 2023, Peer-reviewed

  
• Impact of particulate microplastics generated from polyethylene terephthalate on gut pathology and immune microenvironments.

  Akihito Harusato; Wooseok Seo; Hirohito Abo; Yoshitaka Nakanishi; Hiroyoshi Nishikawa; Yoshito Itoh

  iScience, 21 Apr. 2023, Peer-reviewed

  
• Dietary Emulsifiers Exacerbate Food Allergy and Colonic Type 2 Immune Response through Microbiota Modulation

  Akihito Harusato; Benoit Chassaing; Charlène J. G. Dauriat; Chihiro Ushiroda; Wooseok Seo; Yoshito Itoh

  Nutrients, 23 Nov. 2022, Peer-reviewed

  
• The Roles of RUNX Proteins in Lymphocyte Function and Anti-Tumor Immunity

  Wooseok Seo; Aneela Nomura; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Cells, 03 Oct. 2022, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Transcriptional regulatory network for the establishment of CD8+ T cell exhaustion

  Wooseok Seo; Chandsultana Jerin; Hiroyoshi Nishikawa

  Experimental & Molecular Medicine, 24 Feb. 2021, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• Runx-mediated regulation of CCL5 via antagonizing two enhancers influences immune cell function and anti-tumor immunity

  Wooseok Seo; Kanako Shimizu; Satoshi Kojo; Arinze Okeke; Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu; Shin-ichiro Fujii; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Nature Communications, Dec. 2020, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• The Roles of RUNX Family Proteins in Development of Immune Cells

  Wooseok Seo; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Molecules and cells, 29 Feb. 2020, Peer-reviewed, Lead author, Corresponding author

  
• Constitutive CD8 expression drives innate CD8+ T-cell differentiation via induction of iNKT2 cells

  Satoshi Kojo; Michiko Ohno-Oishi; Hisashi Wada; Sebastian Nieke; Wooseok Seo; Sawako Muroi; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Life Science Alliance, Feb. 2020, Peer-reviewed

  
• Essential functions of Runx/Cbfβ in gut conventional dendritic cells for priming Rorγt+ T cells

  Mari Tenno; Alicia Yoke Wei Wong; Mika Ikegaya; Eiji Miyauchi; Wooseok Seo; Peter See; Tamotsu Kato; Takashi Taida; Michiko Oishi-Ohno; Hiroshi Ohno; Hideyuki Yoshida; Florent Ginhoux; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Life Science Alliance, Jan. 2020, Peer-reviewed

  
• Too much can be as bad as too little

  Wooseok Seo; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Nature Immunology, 12 Oct. 2019, Lead author

  
• Tle corepressors are differentially partitioned to instruct CD8⁺ T cell lineage choice and identity

  Shaojun Xing; Peng Shao; Fengyin Li; Xudong Zhao; Wooseok Seo; Justin C. Wheat; Selvi Ramasamy; Jianfeng Wang; Xiang Li; Weiqun Peng; Shuyang Yu; Chengyu Liu; Ichiro Taniuchi; David A. Sweetser; Hai-Hui Xue

  The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 25 Jul. 2018, Peer-reviewed

  
• Priming of lineage-specifying genes by Bcl11b is required for lineage choice in post-selection thymocytes

  Satoshi Kojo; Hirokazu Tanaka; Takaho A. Endo; Sawako Muroi; Ye Liu; Wooseok Seo; Mari Tenno; Kiyokazu Kakugawa; Yoshinori Naoe; Krutula Nair; Kazuyo Moro; Yoshinori Katsuragi; Akinori Kanai; Toshiya Inaba; Takeshi Egawa; Byrappa Venkatesh; Aki Minoda; Ryo Kominami; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Nature Communications, 26 Sep. 2017, Peer-reviewed

  
• Essential Roles of SATB1 in Specifying T Lymphocyte Subsets

  Kiyokazu Kakugawa; Satoshi Kojo; Hirokazu Tanaka; Wooseok Seo; Takaho A. Endo; Yohko Kitagawa; Sawako Muroi; Mari Tenno; Nighat Yasmin; Yoshinori Kohwi; Shimon Sakaguchi; Terumi Kowhi-Shigematsu; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Cell Reports, May 2017, Peer-reviewed

  
• Regulation of hematopoiesis and immune responses by long non-coding RNAs

  Wooseok Seo; Ichiro Taniuchi

  International Immunology, 01 Apr. 2017, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Roles of RUNX Complexes in Immune Cell Development

  Takashi Ebihara; Wooseok Seo; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 16 Mar. 2017, Peer-reviewed

  
• Distinct requirement of Runx complexes for TCRβ enhancer activation at distinct developmental stages

  Wooseok Seo; Sawako Muroi; Kaori Akiyama; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Scientific Reports, 02 Feb. 2017, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Transcriptional regulation of early T‐cell development in the thymus

  Wooseok Seo; Ichiro Taniuchi

  European Journal of Immunology, 12 Feb. 2016, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Functional B-1 progenitor cells are present in the hematopoietic stem cell-deficient embryo and depend onCbfβfor their development

  Michihiro Kobayashi; W. Christopher Shelley; Wooseok Seo; Sasidhar Vemula; Yang Lin; Yan Liu; Reuben Kapur; Ichiro Taniuchi; Momoko Yoshimoto

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 04 Aug. 2014, Peer-reviewed

  
• Epigenetic Thpok silencing limits the time window to choose CD4+ helper-lineage fate in the thymus

  Hirokazu Tanaka; Taku Naito; Sawako Muroi; Wooseok Seo; Risa Chihara; Chizuko Miyamoto; Ryo Kominami; Ichiro Taniuchi

  The EMBO Journal, 12 Mar. 2013, Peer-reviewed

  
• Runx1–Cbfβ facilitates early B lymphocyte development by regulating expression of Ebf1

  Wooseok Seo; Tomokatsu Ikawa; Hiroshi Kawamoto; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Journal of Experimental Medicine, 04 Jun. 2012, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• Roles of VWRPY motif‐mediated gene repression by Runx proteins during T‐cell development

  Wooseok Seo; Hirokazu Tanaka; Chizuko Miyamoto; Ditsa Levanon; Yoram Groner; Ichiro Taniuchi

  Immunology and Cell Biology, 28 Feb. 2012, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• CD43 processing and nuclear translocation of CD43 cytoplasmic tail are required for cell homeostasis

  Wooseok Seo; Hermann J. Ziltener

  Blood, 22 Oct. 2009, Peer-reviewed, Lead author

  
• PSGL‐1 function in immunity and steady state homeostasis

  Douglas A. Carlow; Klaus Gossens; Silvia Naus; Krystle M. Veerman; Wooseok Seo; Hermann J. Ziltener

  Immunological Reviews, 29 Jun. 2009, Peer-reviewed

  
• Insertion of group II intron retroelements after intrinsic transcriptional terminators

  Aaron R. Robart; Wooseok Seo; Steven Zimmerly

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 Apr. 2007, Peer-reviewed

  
• CD34 and CD43 Inhibit Mast Cell Adhesion and Are Required for Optimal Mast Cell Reconstitution

  Erin Drew; Jasmeen S. Merzaban; Wooseok Seo; Hermann J. Ziltener; Kelly M. McNagny

  Immunity, Jan. 2005, Peer-reviewed

  
• Non-cognate template usage and alternative priming by a group II intron-encoded reverse transcriptase

  Tatiana Morozova; Wooseok Seo; Steven Zimmerly

  Journal of Molecular Biology, Feb. 2002, Peer-reviewed

  

External funds: Kakenhi

• The regulatory mechanism of T cell exhaustion by genomic organizer Satb1

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

  Basic Section 49070:Immunology-related

  Nagoya University

  SEO WOOSEOK

  From 01 Apr. 2023, To 31 Mar. 2026, Granted

  SATB1;ヘルパーT細胞;Treg;細胞傷害性T細胞;がん;疲弊T細胞;Satb1

  https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-23K06581/
• Intestinal homeostasis and the mechanism of food allergy

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

  Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related

  Nagoya University;Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

  春里 暁人

  From 01 Apr. 2022, To 31 Mar. 2026, Granted

  食物アレルギー;サイトカイン;IL-36;2型免疫応答;マイクロ・ナノプラスチック;ナノ/マイクロプラスチック;食品乳化剤;マイクロプラスチック;腸管;腸内細菌

  https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-22K11731/
• Regulatory mechanisms controlling CCL5 chemokine to maintain tissue homeostasis

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

  Basic Section 49070:Immunology-related

  Nagoya University;Institute of Physical and Chemical Research

  Wooseok SEO

  From 01 Apr. 2018, To 31 Mar. 2021, Project Closed

  CCL5;Enhancer;Cancer;がん免疫;ケモカイン;転写制御;Chemokine

  https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-18K07186/
• Runx-mediated regulation of chemokine CCL5 for lung diseases

  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

  Institute of Physical and Chemical Research

  Wooseok Seo

  From 21 Oct. 2015, To 31 Mar. 2018, Project Closed

  アレルギー;免疫関連疾患;免疫関連病患

  https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-15K08535/
• Effects of Runx1-associated lncRNA on asthma pathogenesis

  Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)

  The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research

  WOOSEOK SEO

  From 01 Apr. 2013, To 31 Mar. 2015, Project Closed

  CD4T細胞;Runx1転写因子;long non-coding RNA;ヒト喘息疾患発症;CD4+ T 細胞

  https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-25860374/