Department of Molecular Medicine
Department
| Professor | Hirofumi Kai hirokai(at mark)gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp |
|---|---|
| Instructor | Tsuyoshi Shuto tshuto(at mark)gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp |
| Assistant Professor | SUICO MARY ANN SOTEN mann(at mark)kumamoto-u.ac.jp |
Research themes
[Names and Summaries of Research Projects]
- I. Elucidation of the Intracellular Traffic Systems of Membrane Proteins in Epithelial Cells and Development of Treatments for Genetic Protein Folding Deficiencies
- The Role of Molecular Chaperones in the Intracellular Traffic Systems of Cystic Fibrosis Causing Genes
- Drug Discovery Targeting Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy
- Drug Discovery Related to Cancer Thermotherapy Sensitizers
- II. Elucidation of the Functions of ETS Transcriptional Regulators in Epithelial Cells
- Analysis of the Functions of MEF
- Development of Treatments for Refractory Epithelial Cancer Using Genetic Medicine
- III. Elucidation of Innate Immune Mechanisms in Epithelial Cells and Development of Treatment Methods for Refractory Infections
- Elucidation of the Manifestations of the Regulation Mechanisms of Infection Prevention Factors
- Analysis of the Functions of Toll-like Receptors in Epithelial Cells
- IV. Development of New Medical Equipment for Application of Pulse Current
Today our faculty is conducting various types of research with the main goals of developing new treatment methods for combating refractory diseases and lifestyle diseases from a cell biology approach.
- (1) Elucidation of the Intracellular Traffic Mechanisms of Membrane Proteins in Epithelial Cells and the Development of Treatments for Genetic Protein Folding Deficiencies.
- (2) Intracellular Trafficking and Decomposition Mechanisms of Cystic Fibrosis Causing Proteins and Drug Transporters.
- (3) Drug Discovery Targeting Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy.
- (4) Elucidation of Innate Immune Mechanisms in Epithelial Cells and Development of Treatment Methods for Refractory Infections.
- (5) Development of Disease Onset Prevention Equipment through Preconditioning.
- (6) Applied Research on Physical Stimulus Receptor Mechanisms
Mutant TTR proteins are the cause of familial amyloidosis. By restraining tetramers of TTR within a cell, the type of cellular secretion particular to mutant TTR can be suppressed.
