Research

Research and education in our lab are directed toward understanding health and disease at molecular level. Subjects investigated, with state-of-the-art techniques of molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and transgenic and gene-targeting methodology, include 1 ) Vascular biology: the molecular basis of vascular homeostasis and of vascular cell responses against various pathologic insults, 2 ) Vascular medicine: the mechanisms of development and prevention of diabetic vascular complications and angiogenesis disorders, 3 ) Neuroscience: the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, schizophrenia, and autism, 4 ) Cellular and molecular immunology: the impact of immunological changes and inflammation in diabetic complications, atherosclerosis, angiogenesis, and obesity, 5 ) Stem cell biology: cellular and molecular basis of adipocyte stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells and cancer stem cells, and 6 ) Anti-aging medicine: the impact of anti-glycation reaction in diseases and life span.

Possible participation of pattern-recognition receptor RAGE and its multiple ligands in innate immunity, inflammation and various diseases. AGE, advanced glycation end-products; AOPPs, advanced oxidation protein products; HMGB1, high-mobility group box protein 1; RAGE, receptor for advanced glycation end-products; esRAGE, endogenous secretory RAGE; sRAGE, soluble RAGE.