Department of Integrated Medicine

Neurology

Basic and clinical research on neuromuscular disease
  • Study of the pathogenesis and new therapies for neurogenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, ALS, etc.)
  • Risk factors and therapies for stroke
  • Basic and clinical research on neuroimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis
  • Imaging techniques for the study of neurological diseases
  • Study of the pathogenesis and therapies for myotonic dystrophy and other triple repeat diseases
Professor MOCHIZUKI Hideki
Neurology
The lab first opened in 1991 under the supervision of Professor Takehiko Yanagihara. Professor Saburo Sakoda followed before Professor Hideki Mochizuki took over. The lab studies a wide range of acute and chronic neuromuscular diseases from cerebrovascular disorders to incurable neurological diseases. In addition to producing top-class neurologists for medical care, we are developing new treatments through basic and clinical research.

Basic and clinical research on neurodegenerative diseases, neurovascular diseases, and muscle diseases for effective diagnosis and therapies

The number of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or other neurodegenerative diseases is increasing in the aging society, yet we understand little about how these diseases develop and have no effective treatments. Our lab is interested in the accumulation of α-synuclein in neurons of Parkinson’s disease. We are identifying factors involved in the aggregation of α-synuclein, which are the basis of further research for new diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

Figure 1. New therapies for Parkinson’s disease

Stroke is the most common cerebrovascular disease. We are researching thrombolytic therapies and intravascular treatments for acute patients. We are also studying the mechanisms that lead to stroke, risk of complications and searching for new diagnostic markers. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes repeated inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Prevention of this recurrence is important for maintaining the function of the central nervous system, which otherwise suffers from irreversible damage. We are analyzing the role of immunoregulatory molecules such as semaphorin 4A in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and are also studying the role of intestinal microbial flora, which has attracted attention in recent years. Many neurological diseases compromise motor function. To understand the function, we first clarify the physiological basis of motor control. We are using functional MRI and near infrared spectroscopy for this purpose, studying both healthy and diseased subjects, with the aim of new therapeutic methods including rehabilitation. Myotonic dystrophy is one of triplet repeat diseases. These diseases are hereditary and caused by abnormal elongation of nucleotide repeat sequences. To date, no effective therapies for these diseases exist. We are researching new therapies that control the abnormal function of the elongated transcripts based on nucleic acid-based drugs.