| Budget Amount *help |
¥16,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,900,000)
Fiscal Year 2010: ¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000)
Fiscal Year 2009: ¥5,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,230,000)
Fiscal Year 2008: ¥7,020,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,620,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO)is an intractable neurologic disease characterized by recurrent severe optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. The present study showed that the titers of aquaporin 4 (AQP4)antibody, an autoantibody unique to NMO, reflect disease activity. We also demonstrated that AQP4 antibody has a pathogenic potential in vitro and in vivo, and that NMO is a new clinical entity (immune-mediated astrocytopathy). Concerning therapy of NMO, we found therapeutic efficacy of long-term gradual steroid tapering in preventing early relapse of this disease.
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