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About Us

Sumimasa Arimura

Research Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Office

University of Houston College of Pharmacy
Health 2, Room 7047
4349 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houston, TX 77204-5037

Contact

sarimura@central.uh.edu

Research

Our research focuses on engineering gastrointestinal (GI) cell identity and tissue function using stem cells and organoids. We investigate how cellular identities are established, maintained, and reprogrammed in health and disease, and use this knowledge to develop culture technologies that generate functional GI epithelial cells with defined identities. We are also building multicellular tissue models that integrate epithelial, stromal, immune, and microbial components. These technologies are applied to organoid transplantation and epithelial replacement for GI tissue regeneration. In parallel, we investigate the preconditioning-induced non-growth state (PINGS), in which transient treatment induces sustained suppression of tumor regrowth. Ultimately, we aim to translate cell-fate engineering and multicellular tissue design into regenerative therapies and durable cancer control.

  • Ph.D. (Cancer Biology), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, 2009
  • M.S. (Pharmacology), Showa University, Tokyo, Japan, 2004
  • B.S. (Pharmacy), Showa University, Tokyo, Japan, 2002

Google Scholar Profile

  • Arimura S, To S, Mills JC. Changing fate: how EGFRs "pit" cell vs. cell in the stomach. Gastroenterology. 2024;167:441-442.
  • Adkins-Threats M#, Arimura S#, Huang YZ, Divenko M, To S, Mao H, Zeng Y, Hwang JY, Burclaff JR, Jain S, Mills JC. Metabolic regulator ERRγ governs gastric stem cell differentiation into acid-secreting parietal cells. Cell Stem Cell. 2024;31:886-903. #Co-first author
  • Arimura S, Inoue A, Katayama K, Kanno T, Jozawa H, Imoto S, Yamanashi Y. Loss of Dok-3 in non-tumor cells induces malignant conversion of benign epithelial tumors of the intestine. Cancer Research Communications. 2022;2:1590-1600.
  • Arimura S, Okada T, Tezuka T, Chiyo T, Kasahara Y, Yoshimura T, Motomura M, Yoshida N, Beeson D, Takeda S, Yamanashi Y. DOK7 gene therapy benefits mouse models of diseases characterized by defects in the neuromuscular junction. Science. 2014;345:1505-1508. 5.
  • Arimura S, Matsunaga A, Kitamura T, Aoki K, Aoki M, Taketo MM. Reduced level of Smoothened suppresses intestinal tumorigenesis by down-regulation of Wnt signaling. Gastroenterology. 2009;137:629-638

Grants:

  • PI, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fund for the Promotion (JSPS) of Joint International Research, 2027–2029
  • Multi-PI, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Individual Investigator Research Award, RP240401, 2025-2028 
  • Recipient, United Japanese Researchers Around the World Paper Award, 2025 
  • PI, Pilot and Feasibility Award, Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center (TMC-DDC), P30DK056338, 2021-2022
  • PI, JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A), 15H05574, 2015-2016

Honors:

  • Research Fellow, JSPS, 2009-2013
  • Recipient, Uehara Memorial Foundation Research Fellowship, 2018-2019
  • Recipient, Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Overseas Research Grant, 2018

Involvement:

  • Executive Board Member/Director, Japanese Researchers Association of Science and Technology in Texas, 2019-Present
  • Director, United Japanese Researchers Around the World (UJA) Paper Award, 2026-Present