top of page
Biography
Dr. Misa Suzuki Anekoji, Ph.D., serves as an active biology bench scientist. She obtained her bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Saitama University in 1992. Following her graduation, she joined the research laboratory at Kirin Brewery Pharmaceuticals in Yokohama, Japan. During her time there, she extensively acquired skills in analytical techniques using HPLC and mass spectrometry, as well as expertise in peptide synthesis chemistry within the field of glycobiology. Her research group primarily focused on the production of glycoprotein drugs, such as erythropoietin, in yeast.
In 1996, Dr. Anekoji relocated to the United States and joined the laboratories of Drs. Minoru and Michiko Fukuda at the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, California. Her research in the field of glycobiology continued, with a particular emphasis on neural glycans, including polysialic acid and HNK-1. Her work revealed that these glycans play a critical role in regulating muscle cell fusion and development, leading to the publication of peer-reviewed papers and the completion of her Ph.D. based on these studies. Dr. Anekoji's research in the Fukuda lab extended to the establishment of a knockout mouse line for HNK-1 sulfotransferase, Chst-10. HNK-1 glycan is known for its widespread expression in the brain, where it regulates neurite outgrowth and synaptic plasticity. Dr. Anekoji's research identified a novel function of HNK-1 ST in semi-infertility.
Dr. Anekoji’s work extended to establish a glioblastoma mouse model using a stereotaxic frame and monitored cancer growth using the Xenogen IVIS imager. This project explored the roles of HNK-1 and polysialic acid glycans, revealing contrasting effects on cancer cell migration. During her later years in Michiko Fukuda's lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Dr. Anekoji tested Michiko's new drug, IF7 peptide, in a mouse glioma model. Her research demonstrated that IF7-SN38 could cross the blood-brain barrier and effectively target implanted tumors, significantly reducing their size. Subsequently, Michiko modified the drug's formula, resulting in the complete elimination of tumors in the mouse glioma model. These discoveries led to the establishment of a new venture company, IF7 CURE Inc, with Dr. Anekoji playing a key role in its administration and continued experimental work.
In 2020, Dr. Anekoji joined CureScience Institute, where her responsibilities include performing immuno-monitoring assays. Additionally, she is working to establish a High-Throughput Screening (HTS) system to screen drugs aimed at enhancing the expression of molecules, with the goal of treating neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Anekoji is enthusiastic about contributing to the clinical-oriented research at CureScience , bringing her closer to the goal of finding cures for patients.
TM
TM
Most Recent Publications
1. Feng Lin , Emma Z. Lin, Misa Anekoji, Thomas E. Ichim, Joyce Hu, Francesco M. Marincola, Lawrence D. Jones, Santosh Kesari, and Shashaanka Ashili "Advancing personalized medicine in brain cancer: exploring the role of mRNA vaccines." Journal Of Translational Medicine, (2023) 21:830. doi: 10.1186/s12967-023-04724-0
2. Sandeep C. Pingle, Feng Lin, Misa S. Anekoji, C. Pawan K. Patro, Souvik Datta, Lawrence D, Jones, Santosh Kesari and Shashaanka Ashili “Exploring the role of cerebrospinal fluid as analyte in neurologic disorders.” Future Science OA, 9(4), 2023. doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2023-0006
3. Feng Lin, Misa Anekoji, Thomas E Ichim, Sandeep Pingle, C Pawan K Patro, Mathew Loren, Lawrence D Jones, Souvik Datta, Santosh Kesari, and Shashaanka Ashili “Immunotherapeutic peptide vaccine approaches to glioma.” Journal of Cancer Research Reviews & Reports, 3: 1-11, 2021. doi: 10.47363/JCRR/2021
4. Jithin S. Sunny, C. Pawan K. Patro, Khushi Karnani, Sandeep C. Pingle, Feng Lin, Misa Anekoji, Lawrence D. Jones, Santosh Kesari, and Shashaanka Ashili “Anomaly detection framework for wearables data: A perspective review on data concepts, data analysis algorithms and prospects.” Sensors (Basel), 22: 756, 2022. doi: 10.2290/s22030756
5. C. Pawan K. Patro, Nupur Biswas, Sandeep C. Pingle, Feng Lin, Misa Anekoji, Lawrence D. Jones, Santosh Kesari, Feng Lin and Shashaanka Ashili “MTAP loss: a pssible therapeutic approach for glioblastoma.” Journal of Translational Medicine, 20 (621), 2022. doi: 10.1186/s12967-022-03823-8
6. Michiko N. Fukuda, Misa Suzuki-Anekoji and Motohiro Nonaka, “Annexin A1-binding carbohydrate mimetic peptide targets drugs to brain tumors.” Intech Open book chapter “Central Nervous System Turmors”, edited by Scott George Turner, 2021. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.96517
7. Motohiro Nonaka, Misa Suzuki-Anekoji, Jun Nakayama, Hideaki Mabashi-Asazuma, Donald L Jarvis, Jiunn-Chern Yeh, Kazuhiko Yamasaki, Tomoya O Akama, Chun-Teng Hunag, Alexandre Rosa Campos, Masato Nagaoka, Toshio Sasai, Itsuko Kimura-Takagi, Yoichi Suwa, Takashi Yaegashi, Toshiaki K Shibata, Kazuhiro Sugihara, Chizuko Nishizawa-Harada, Minoru Fukuda and Michiko N. Fukuda “Overcoming the blood-brain barrier by Annexin A1-binding peptide to target brain tumors.” British Journal of Cancer, 123:1633-1643, 2020. doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-01066-2
8. Minoru Fukuda and Misa Suzuki-Anekoji. “N-Acetyllactosaminide β-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyl-transferase (GCNT2)(I-GnT)” Handbook of Glycosyltransferases and Related Genes 2nd Ed., Naoyuki Taniguchi, Koichi Honke, Minoru Fukuda eds. Springer Japan, Tokyo. chap.24, 2014
9. Misa Suzuki-Anekoji, Atsushi Suzuki, Sz-Wei Wu, Kiyohiko Angata, Keith K. Murai, Kazuhiro Sugihara, Tomoya O. Akama, Kay-Hooi Khoo, Jun Nakayama, Michiko N. Fukuda*, and Minoru Fukuda*. “In vivo regulation of steroid hormones by Chst10 sulfotransferase.” The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288: 5007-5016, 2013
doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.433474
10. Misa Suzuki-Anekoji, Tatsuya Kobayashi, Masami Suzuki, Yoshiko Sato, Jun Nakayama, Atsushi Suzuki, Xingfeng Bao, Kiyohiko Angata, and Minoru Fukuda. “HNK-1 functions as a tumor suppressor for astrocytoma.” The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 286: 32824-32833, 2011
10.1074/jbc.M111.245886
bottom of page