Research Groups

Department of Basic Medicine / Science for Biological Information

Pharmacology

Associate Professor:Masahiro Oike, M.D., Ph.D.   /  

Research Interests

Pharmacology aims to contribute to human welfare by clarifying interrelationships between drugs and human body. Our research interests are cellular molecules and functions of vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Since these cells are closely related to the pathogenesis of hypertension, atherosclerosis, cancer metastasis and bronchial asthma, the changes in cellular molecules and functions are potential candidates of drug targets. We mainly use primary culture cells and analyze cellular functions and molecules from various aspects including protein expression, ion channels and gene expression. Furthermore, we perform in silico screening for drug development.

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

  1. Analysis of the regulation of local environments mediated by endothelium- derived substances, especially endothelium-related changes in tumor cell metastasis and vascular structure.
  2. Novel pathogenesis of bronchial asthma by tracheal smooth muscle cellsderived proteases.
  3. in silico drug development.
   
  • >Analysis of the regulation of local environments mediated by endothelium-derived substances, especially endothelium-related changes in tumor cell metastasis and vascular structure.
  • Novel pathogenesis of bronchial asthma by tracheal smooth muscle cellsderived proteases.
  •  
  • in silico drug development.

Integrative Physiology

Assistant Professor:Atsushi Takaki   /  

Research Interests

When a biological activity was threatened by physical and/or chemical noxious stimulation or by pathogenic germs, the host-defense systems will integratedly function in a neuro-endocrine immune network, resulting in an increase of survival rate. An action to survive is simultaneously triggered by the emotion such as the anxiety or the fear that is formed in high order brain based on memorized experience.

We will reveal mechanisms affected by physical and/or mental stresses on the host-defense system, using awakening animals in addition to a molecular biologic way

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

  1. Quantification of 8-oxo deoxyguanosine(8-oxo dG) per dG in living body samples such as urine, blood, and tissues that indicates a risk of carcinogenesis, a severity of oxidative disease, life span, and etc.
  2. Development of a more simplified measurement system of 8-oxo dG that enable a mass screening study(more than ten thousands samples)
   

Developmental Neurophysiology

Professor:Takeshi Imai  /

Research Interests

Our brain function emerges as network dynamics of 100 billion neurons. Our understanding of the brain circuit dynamics and its developmental mechanism not only contribute to better understanding of mental diseases, but also to our intellectual quest toward the origin of our mind. Our laboratory tries to understand logics of our brain from three different aspects: functional dynamics, circuit diagram, and its developmental process. We are studying cerebral cortex and olfactory bulb in mice to understand the molecular and circuit mechanisms of sensory circuit development. To facilitate our ongoing research on neuronal circuits, we are also trying to develop cutting-edge technologies for fluorescence microscopy-based connectomics.

Contents of Teaching/Research Themes

  1. Two-photon Ca2+ imaging of sensory information processing
  2. Molecular and circuit mechanisms for sensory circuit development
  3. Cortical circuit development in neuropsychiatric disease models
  4. Circuit mechanisms of visceral (gut
  5. sensation
  6. Mathematical modeling of circuit dynamics for sensory perception
  7. Development of new methodologies in connectomics

Recent Publications

Cell Reports 35: 109276 (2021); Cell Reports 31:107814 (2020); eLife 7:e40350 (2018); Neuron 96:1139-1152 (2017); Cell Reports 14:2718-2732 (2016); Cell 154:1314-1325 (2013); Nature Neuroscience 16:1154-1161 (2013)

 

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