# BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · VA GREATER LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Dr. Hidekazu (Hide) Tsukamoto continues to make significant contributions to the Medical
Research Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs at two distinct levels: first as a
Research Physiologist who makes cutting-edge discoveries on molecular cellular mechanisms
of liver fibrosis and cancer; and secondly as a Center Director of the P50 national center
program on alcoholic liver and pancreatic diseases (ALPD) and cirrhosis who renders concrete
and outcome-oriented support for scientific endeavors of VA investigators regionally and across
the nation.
 He published 71 peer-review articles in the last 10 years and maintained federal grants with
total current direct costs exceeding $1.1M per year (not inclusive of all center components). He
has made major contributions to new knowledge concerning morphogen-mediated regulation of
cell fate of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), hepatic macrophages, and tumor-initiating stem-like
cells (TICs), the cell types shown to play critical roles in liver fibrosis, inflammation, and cancer,
respectively. In these regulations, novel modes of metabolic reprogramming were disclosed as
underlying mechanisms. More specifically, Notch-mediated proinflammatory M1 activation of
liver macrophages is causally linked to mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming (J Clin Invest
2015;125:1579-90). Wnt-induced activation of HSCs is mediated by lipid metabolic
reprogramming involving stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD) (Gastroenterology 2017;152:1477-91).
Further, SCD expressed by HSCs is shown to achieve tumor-promoting lipid reprogramming in
microenvironment to enhance liver tumor progression.
 Programmatically, he continues to direct a nationally renowned P50 center program on
alcoholic liver and pancreatic diseases and a R24 core program on integrative liver cell
techniques which support leading-edge ALPD research. Through these programs, he
collaborated and supported 12 VA investigators and mentored 10 junior faculty members during
the current cycle of the VARCS award.
 In essence, the efforts Dr. Tsukamoto makes, render individual and collective impacts on
science pursed by him and many VA investigators across the nation and help identify
therapeutic targets for ALPD and cirrhosis which are prevalent in VA patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9899087
- **Project number:** 5IK6BX004205-03
- **Recipient organization:** VA GREATER LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** HIDEKAZU TSUKAMOTO
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9899087

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9899087, BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award Application (5IK6BX004205-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9899087. Licensed CC0.

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