Seiichiro Himeno

Seiichiro Himeno obtained his Ph.D. from Tokyo University School of Medicine in 1989. He worked at Kitasato University (1985 – 2003) investigating the expression and functions of Se-containing enzymes. From 1993 to 1994, he worked with Prof. Raymond Burk at Vanderbilt University on the structure and expression of selenoprotein P. After coming back to Japan, he started to investigate the mechanism of cellular Cd transport. By using a multi-tracer technique, a pioneering technology of metallomics, he found that Cd and Mn share the same pathway for entering cells. After moving to Tokushima Bunri University as a full professor (2003 – present), he found that two types of Zn transporters (ZIP8 and ZIP14) are responsible for cellular incorporation of Cd and Mn. This finding paved a way to better understand the mechanisms underlying the transport and toxicity of Cd as well as Mn. In addition to these laboratory works, he is carrying out field surveys on health effects of As among the residents in Bangladesh and Cambodia (2009 - present). Currently, he is focusing on the mechanisms underlying metal handling in the kidney where multiple transporting systems in each segment play versatile roles in the deposition and toxicity of metals.