Studying Dementia under the mebolic level.

Introduction

   I have been involved in the project "Non-invasive analyse system for early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Perkinson's disease (PD)" as an authorized researcher belonging to the 'Knowledge Hub Aichi.'

   It is becoming a problem that the number of neuronal disorder is increasing
in accordance with the aging society that is unparalleled in Japanese history.
Also the mechanism of developing the disorder is not fully disclosed and has
not established the method for diagnosis. We are developing non-invasive
nano-screeing system for amyloid and tau from blood or urine using a
semiconductor-type ion/image sensor for early detection of AD/PD. This
system will provide a supersensitive, lowest cost, quickest, and easiest way
of diagnosis, and allow the earliest non-invasive identification of the
disease.

   By the way, we have another subject about interaction between the AD and
neurotoxin quinolinic acid which is a tryptophan metabolite. It has been
found that increase in expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxigenase (IDO) and
accumulation of quinolinic acid in the postmortem brain of AD patient. The
IDO is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the tryptophan-quinolinic acid
pathway. We have shown that the inframmation cycle that inspired by the
toxic effect of quinorinic acid which should be a trigger for the AD
diagnosis. In addition, we are developing an inhibitor of IDO, which is
expected to be a medicine for AD in the near future.

   I am studying with a hope that would become a reality and all person will be able to enjoy the life.

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   Ms. Kishi (2nd picture) started to assist the project from this April. She has 9 years' experience of working at foreign capital company dealing laboratory instruments.

Subject

　

Link

Contact Information

Alato Okuno, PhD

Lab Radiation Safety,

National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology

35 Gengo, Morioka-cho, Obu-City,

Aichi 474-8511, Japan

e-mail:

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Recent publication

Fukuhara K, Ohno A, Ota Y, Senoo Y, Maekawa K, Okuda H, Kurihara M, ○Okuno A, Niida S, Saito Y, Takikawa O. NMR-based Metabolomics of Urine in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease: Identification of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 52:133-138, 2013.
Higashitani K, Kanto T, Kuroda S, Yoshio S, Matsubara T, Kakita N, Oze T, Miyazaki M, Sakakibara M, Hiramatsu N, Mita E, Imai Y, Kasahara A, ○Okuno A, Takikawa O, Hayashi N, Takehara T. Association of enhanced activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in dendritic cells with the induction of regulatory T cells in chronic hepatitis C infection. J Gastroenterol. 2013 May;48(5):660-70.
Tajima Y, Ishikawa M, Maekawa K, Murayama M, Senoo Y, Nishimaki-Mogami T, Nakanishi H, Ikeda K, Arita M, Taguchi R, Okuno A, Mikawa R, Niida S, Takikawa O, Saito Y. Lipidomic analysis of brain tissues and plasma in a mouse model expressing mutated human amyloid precursor protein/tau for Alzheimer's disease. Lipids Health Dis. 2013 May 9;12:68. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-12-68.
Okuno A, Fukuwatari T, Shibata K. High tryptophan diet reduces extracellular dopamine release via kynurenic acid production in rat striatum. J Neurochem. 2011 Sep;118(5):796-805. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07369.x. Epub 2011 Jul 21.
Takahashi K, Okuno A, Fukuwatari T, Shibata K. Comparison of the nicotinamide catabolism among rat strains. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2009 Feb;73(2):274-9. Epub 2009 Feb 7.
[Conference]
Mikawa R, ºOkuno A, Yoshimi T, Okada K, Takayanagi A, Takikawa O. Implication of Brain Microvessel Endothelial Cell-derived Beta-Amyloid Peptide in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2013, July 14, Boston, USA.
ºOkuno A, Yoshimi T, Okada K, Mikawa R, Takayanagi A, Takikawa O. Pathogenic role of IDO in Alzheimer’s disease : Astrocytes but not neurons are responsible for the increase of amyloid β peptide induced by neurotoxin quinolinic acid. ISTRY 2012, November 7, 2012, Sydney, Australia.