The central research goal of the Ito Lab is the expansion of our understanding of the regulatory pathways controlling the equilibrium of stem cells, with a special focus on the development of novel therapeutics for hematopoietic disorders. At the core of our work is the process of stem cell division, and the resulting balance between self-renewal or differentiation, which directly impacts tissue homeostasis. We are also devoting increased attention to targeting cellular metabolism as a therapeutic strategy, and have cut a path along the leading edge of research into the role of epigenetic-microRNA crosstalk, including physiologically relevant Ten-eleven translocation, in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome. We believe our expertise in stem cell biology, hematology, and the bone marrow microenvironment, combined with our development of new single-cell approaches to tracking stem cell fate in animal models, will together facilitate a major contribution to the improvement of transplantation efficiency and the development of new therapies and treatments, and potentially even cures, for many forms of hematologic pathology.