Kazuko Nishikura

Kazuko Nishikura is a pioneer in understanding ADAR-mediated adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing and its roles in cancer biology, demonstrating how dysregulated RNA editing drives tumor progression and modulates innate immune sensing of double-stranded RNA. Her work revealed that ADAR1 loss activates the dsRNA-sensing MDA5/MAVS pathway, triggering interferon responses that sensitize tumors to immunotherapy. She identified cancer-specific RNA editing events that alter protein function and create novel immunotherapy targets. Her research has established RNA editing as a critical layer of gene regulation in cancer.