Ito Lab
Principal Investigator
Shinya Ito, MD, FRCP(C)
Scientific profile
Post-docs, Fellows
Toshihiro Tanaka
Research Technologist
MingDong Yang
PhD Students
Kah Poh Tan
Andrew Chuang
Research Activities
Overall, I want to provide key knowledge on pharmacology of clinically-relevant drug transporters and drug metabolizing enzymes. My projects will identify one or two specific and novel themes, such as, new proteins or a novel regulation mechanism with the highest clinical relevance in child health over the next 5 years. The projects are:
Drug transfer into human milk. Using human mammary gland epithelial cells, we are studying how drugs taken by the mother goes into milk. A mathematical modeling approach and molecular biology techniques are being used to answer the question.
Risk assessment in drug therapy for lactating women. Based on the large cohort of our clinical program (Motherisk program), our group has been active in conducting various clinical research projects. Findings provide foundation for better management of these mothers and their infants. Basic research findings are constantly brought back to the clinical situations for verification and further to generate new hypotheses.
Paediatric pharmacology. Drug safety issues in paediatrics continue to be major problems. We provide safety and toxicity data on various drugs to improve the quality of drug therapy in infants and children. While closely involved with these clinical problems, I am also interested in innovative drug therapy.
Recently, data relating to elucidation of expression and function of drug transporters in the human mammary gland, effects of human milk and infant formula on drug metabolizing enzymes in intestinal cells in vitro, a novel transcriptional control of cytochrome P450 3A drug metabolizing enzymes by osmotic stress have been recently published.
Publications
Kwok B, Yamauchi A, R. Rajesan, L. Chen, Dhillon U, Gao W. Xu H, Wang B, Takahashi S, Semple J, Tamai I, Nezu J, Tsuji A, Harper P, Ito S. Carnitine/xenobiotics transporters in the human mammary gland epithelia, MCF12A. Am J Physiol: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative physiology. On-line version. (Sep 29, 2005). doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00087.2005]. Print version in 2006;290:793-802. (R: original)
The study describes the organic cation transporters in the human mammary gland. The study is funded by my CHR grant. I am a senior responsible author, supervising the trainees, arranging the figures, and participating in writing. (SRA).
Houghton LA, Sherwood KL, Pawlosky R, Ito S, O’Connor DL. [6S]-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate is at least as effective as folic acid in preventing a decline in blood folate concentrations during lactation. Am J Clin Nutrition 2006; 83: 842 - 850 (R: Original)
This study is the first to describe folate disposition in lactating individuals who received it as an endogenously active folate species. I oversaw medical aspects of the study, and contributed in writing. 10% contribution (Col).
Cohen-Kerem R, Ratnapalan S, Djulus J, Duan X, Chandra RV, Ito S. The Attitude of Physicians towards Cold Remedies for Upper Respiratory Infection in Infants and Children; a Questionnaire Survey. Clin Pediatr 2006;45:828-834. (C: original)
Moretti M, Verjee Z, Ito S, Koren G. Breastfeeding during maternal use of azathioprine. Ann Pharmacother 2006;40:2269-2272
Kosuge K, Chuang A, Uematsu S, Tan KP, Ko BCB, Ohashi K, Ito S. Discovery of Osmo-sensitive Transcriptional Regulation of Human Cytochrome P450 3As (CYP3As) by the Tonicity-Responsive Enhancer Binding Protein (TonEBP/ NFAT5). (R: original) in revision
This study describes a novel transcriptional control of cytochrome P450 3A drug metabolizing enzyme genes, and its molecular machinery. This will be the first study to pinpoint the mechanism of constitutive expression of the enzyme genes, which has been a mystery. (SRA)
Books/Chapters in Books
2002
Ito S, Massicotte A. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 37th ed.2002: L22-L24 (Drug Exposure during Pregnancy) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
Ito S. Matsui D. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 37th ed. 2002: L19-L21 (Drug Exposure during lactation) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
2003
Massicotte A, Ito S. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 36th ed.2003: L24-L27 (Drug Exposure during Pregnancy) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
Ito S, Matsui D. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 36th ed. 2003: L28-L31 (Drug Exposure during lactation) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
2004
Ito S. Drug-induced bowel injury. In: Walker's Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease: 4th ed. Walker, Kleinman, Sherman, Goulet, Sanderson, Schneider eds. Chapter 8.1. 2004 pp148-155. (C)
Massicotte A, Ito S. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 2004: L17-L21 (Drug Exposure during Pregnancy) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
Ito S. Gauthier L. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 2004: L22-L25 (Drug Exposure during lactation) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
2005
Massicotte A, Ito S. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 2005: L17-L21 (Drug Exposure during Pregnancy) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
Ito S. Gauthier L. Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, 2005: L22-L25 (Drug Exposure during lactation) (C): This is a monograph, which I revise every year.
Ito S, Thompson M. Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology. Atlas of Pediatrics. Laxer R, Friedman J, ed. 2005 (C)
Contact Information
Admin Assistant
Niki Balamatsis
e-mail: niki.balamatsis@sickkids.ca
Mailing Address
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Ave.
Room. 8227, Black Wing
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8
Tel: (416) 813-5776
Fax: (416) 813-7562
e-mail: shinya.ito@sickkids.ca