Department of Environmental Medicine and Molecular Toxicology,
Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Laboratory Introduction

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in excess in cells induces oxidative stress and is involved in various diseases including infection and inflammation, cancer, metabolic syndrome such as atherosclerosis and diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. In recent years, ROS are recognized as signaling molecules regulating various biological phenomena. ROS exerts various physiological functions such as adaptive response to oxidative stress, autophagy induction, and regulation of cell senescence and cell death, via well-organized signaling pathways consisted with receptor molecules and effector proteins. To clarify the regulation mechanism of ROS signaling is a high-priority subject in research on the pathogenesis of oxidative stress-related diseases. Our laboratory investigates the molecular mechanism of infectious diseases as an environmental factor, toxicology of environmental pollutants, and cellular responses to environmental and oxidative stress, by using the advanced analytical techniques, such as chemical biology, proteomes, metabolomes, etc. Recent progresses in our study include the discoveries of the reactive sulfur species as new regulator of oxidative stress and the promotion of atherosclerosis by the infection of emerging pathogen Helicobacter cinaedi. Based on these high-impact achievements, we are seeking to develop novel strategies of diagnosis, remedy, and prevention for various diseases, in view of the defense mechanism in response to oxidative stress.

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