Japanese Clinician Advances Understanding of Prostate Cancer

In Japan, Dr. Koji Mita listened to his colleagues at Hiroshima University’s department of urology talk about their experiences as visiting scientists at Texas A&M University’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology.

The word of mouth was good, and reported that IBT was in the forefront of research using mouse modeling and growth factors to study human prostate cancer growth, so Dr. Mita applied to be a visiting scientist himself at IBT.

Since last June, he has worked in the lab of IBT’s Center for Cancer Biology and Nutrition. While he once thought there was only one way to treat prostate cancer – surgery – he now sees other possibilities, like prevention and gene therapy.

"My dream is to return to Japan and help advance the state of science using mouse models for human prostate cancer and disease through genetic manipulation," he said. "My participation in the National Cancer Institute’s consortium on mouse models of human cancer has helped me advance my own understanding. IBT is part of the NCI-funded Baylor College of Medicine Mouse Models of Human Prostate Cancer Program, and the J.S. Dunn Foundation supports our work at IBT."

Dr. Mita said that collaboration within the Texas Medical Center and within IBT is outstanding.

"You are doing things here that we are just beginning to do in Japan," he said.

Although he visited Houston once briefly in 1997, some things have still surprised him during this longer stay.

"Originally, I thought I’d see many more machines that we don’t have in Japan. That’s not been the case. What is different here is the higher level of advanced applications and techniques. Also, the IBT building – particularly the animal housing facility – is climate-controlled. This is good for our experiments. In Japan, in the winter I am too cold and so are my lab experiments. In the summer we are too hot. Climate control is wonderful," he laughed.

Dr. Mita’s family is with him in Houston. His wife has made friends from many different countries, and his two sons, ages six and eight, are happy at Roberts Elementary School. He knows the time will go quickly during the next year or two of their Texas sojourn.

"What I’ve learned at IBT will help me be a better clinician, and now researcher, in Japan," he said. "The basic research I’ve done here will keep the pipeline of science flowing between Houston and Japan. I’m very grateful for this experience."

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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