2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Low molecular weight compounds that direct microglia toward alternative activation
| Project/Area Number |
24659118
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
General pharmacology
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| Research Institution | Kumamoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
KATSUKI Hiroshi 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部, 教授 (40240733)
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| Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha) |
HISATSUNE Akinori 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部, 助教 (50347001)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
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| Keywords | ミクログリア / インターロイキン-4 / アルギナーゼ / GABA |
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| Research Abstract |
This study revealed that a transcription factor IRF4 plays a key role in mediating intracellular signals in microglial cells leading to induction of alternative activation state, the tissue preservative/reparative mode of this immune cell population in the brain. In addition, explorative pharmacological evaluation, based on regulation of microglial activation, demonstrated stimulatory effects of several low molecular weight compounds on alternative activation. One of the compounds, which has natural origin, was newly found to possess neuroprotective properties on dopamine neurons whose degeneration is closely associated with Parkinson disease.
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