[HT-01-1] Introduction: what is the true culprit of neurodegeneration in PD; alpha-synuclein and beyond?
α-Synuclein is a primary component of Lewy bodies, and mutations / overexpression of it cause Parkinson’s disease (PD). Besides, Braak and colleagues identified Lewy pathologies, namely α-synuclein deposition, in various regions of human brains, and demonstrated the temporal sequence of α-synuclein pathologies that emerge in the brains of PD. However, the relationship between α-synuclein deposition and neuronal dysfunction / neuronal death and underlying mechanisms connecting them are still unclear. Is α-synuclein a true culprit of neurodegeneration in PD? If so, what are the precise molecular mechanisms involved with the neurotoxicity of α-synuclein? What other factors contribute to neurodegeneration in PD? Now it is high time that we should know the details molecular mechanisms involved with neurodegeneration in PD. Does α-Synuclein itself cause neurodegeneration or need other factors, namely α-synuclein and beyond?
EDUCATION:
MD, Shinshu University, 1984
PhD, Shinshu University, 1992
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
1984.6: Dept. of Neurology, Shinshu University
1993-1995: Visiting Scholar, Dept. of Molecular Biology, Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry
1997-1999: Postdoctoral fellow, Dept. of Pathology (Prof. B. Frangione), NY Univ., USA.
2005-2011: Assistant Professor, Dept. of Neurology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (KPUM)
2011-2013: Associate Professor, Dept. of Molecular Pathobiology of Brain Diseases, KPUM
2014-present: Professor, Dept. of Molecular Pathobiology of Brain Diseases, KPUM
PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS:
Board Member
2009: Representative, The Japanese Society of Neurology
2010: Councilor, The Japan Society for Dementia Research
2012: Director, The Japanese Society of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS:
1. Protein chemistry and biomarker development in neurodegenerative diseases
2. Biochemical analyses of brain-derived extracellular vesicles
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