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Our laboratory aims to find a clue and develop a therapy for chronic inflammation based on analysis of regulatory factors for bio-distribution of inflammation-associated substances including prostaglandins, uric acids, and redox substances
Membrane transporters strictly regulate the intracellular and extracellular concentrations of substances essential for maintaining biological functions, including physiologically important enzyme substrates and receptor ligands, and are thought to be involved in various phenomena to maintain homeostasis. Transporters facilitate to move substances across plasma membranes and do not involve direct changes in the substrate itself; however, membrane transporters affect physiological phenomena by changes in local substrate concentration. Since it is not easy to clarify such a role of transporters, many of them have been underappreciated to date, compared to enzymes and receptors. Recent drug discovery and development targeting sugar and bile acid underline the importance of physiological transporters.
In our laboratory, our research focuses on membrane transporters that transport inflammatory mediators, prostaglandins, uric acid, and redox substances. These substances may be synthesized within the body and/or can be taken up from diets, and their altered bio-distribution is closely related to the progression of inflammation, and failure of inflammation eventually results in chronic inflammation and tissue remodeling. Currently, our laboratory is conducting several research projects on physiological transporters to understand complex mechanisms of chronic inflammation and to discover a clue to protect our body from it. The followings are our on-going projects.
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Prostaglandin transporter (SLCO2A1)
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Mitochondrial carrier associated with progression of MAFLD
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Membrane transporters involved in progression of prostate cancer
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MRP4/ABCC4