Elucidasion of functional contribution of glial dysturbances in pathomechanisms of demyelinating diseases and schizophrenia and development of new therapeutic options

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Glial assembly: a new regulatory machinery of brain function and disorders
• Project/Area Number: 25117012
• 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: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Kira Jun-ichi 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (40183305)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松下 拓也 九州大学, 大学病院, 講師 (00533001) ; 山崎 亮 九州大学, 医学研究院, 准教授 (10467946) ; 松瀬 大 九州大学, 医学研究院, 助教 (70596395) ; 真崎 勝久 九州大学, 医学研究院, 助教 (90612903)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-06-28 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 多発性硬化症 / 実験的自己免疫性脳脊髄炎 / グリア / コネキシン / 筋萎縮性側索硬化症 / SOD1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the central nervous system, the same number of glial cells as nerve cells exist. These consist of astroglia, oligodendroglia and microglia, each of which is highly differentiated and is responsible for the central nervous system homeostasis. In recent years, glial cell dysfunction as a cause of neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders attracts attention. Glial cells are directly connected to each other by gap junctions composed of connexin proteins to form a huge network. We examined the mechanism of neuropathy-induced connexin abnormalities in autopsy specimens and model animals of patients with neurological disorders.

Free Research Field

神経内科学、神経科学、神経免疫学