Elucidation of molecular pathogenesis in motor neurocircuit degeneration and development of therapy for motor neuron diseases

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Generation of synapse-neurocircuit pathology
• Project/Area Number: 22110005
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: KATSUNO Masahisa 名古屋大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (50402566)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SOBUE Gen 名古屋大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (20148315) ; ADACHI Hiroaki 名古屋大学, 医学系研究科, COE特任講師 (40432257)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 神経変性疾患 / 運動ニューロン / 筋萎縮性側索硬化症 / 球脊髄性筋萎縮症 / 骨格筋

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the pathomechanism for adult-onset motor neuron diseases: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), and identified HSF-1, TGF-beta, CGRP1, and PPARgamma, as common pathigenic molecules for these disorders. We also clarified that compounds that restore the function of these molecules ameliorate motor neuron degeneration in animal models of ALS and SBA.

Free Research Field

神経内科学