Budget Amount *help |
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
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Research Abstract |
Astrocytes are known to respond to various brain injuries, however, the signaling events underlying reactive astrogliosis remain unclear. N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (Ndrg2) is a differentiation-associated molecule predominantly expressed in astrocytes in the central nervous system. In this study, we examined the expression and the role of Ndrg2 after cortical stab injury. The current study demonstrated that Ndrg2 is an injury-responsive gene that is involved in the early phase of astroglial activation and that it positively regulates reactive astrogliosis and the subsequent inflammatory response and neuronal death through the activation of IL-6/STAT3 signaling. Thus, Ndrg2 could be a new therapeutic target in various neurological conditions related to astroglial activation and inflammation.
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