FACULTY
- Department
- Department of Pharmacy
- Laboratory
- Molecular Physiology Laboratory
- Field of Study
- Biological Systems
- Degree
- Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
History
Graduate School/University, etc.
1982 Graduated from Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University 1984 Completed Master’s Course, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University 1990 Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Kyoto University)
Why I Became a Researcher
From when I advanced from high school to my undergraduate studies, when I got a job in Toyama after graduate school, and when I studied abroad in Boston in the United States, I’ve met many different types of teachers as well as received their guidance throughout the major points of my history, and I feel that these things along with connections and coincidence have given me what I have now. When I was in university (liberal arts), I conducted a reading circle for Molecular Biology of the Gene by Professor Watson, who discovered the double helix shape of DNA, and it left a strong impression on me, making me wonder if life may also be a molecular machine. At the time, the “nature” of genes like ion channels, pumps, and transporters were unknown, and the fact that it became possible to know their nature as protein molecules after cloning them one after another also impacted me greatly. Furthermore, working with the proton pump that performs the secretion of gastric acid, and being able to witness the creation of the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) as a basic researcher may also have to do with why I’m a researcher today.
Research Information
Research Area and Theme
The Front Line of Biological Defense: Approaching Epithelial Cell Transportation and Barrier Functions at the Molecular Level
I will clarify the regulatory mechanism for substance transportation in epithelial cells from a biochemical and physiological view to approach an understanding of the factors that cause human disease.
Thoughts on Research Theme
Epithelial tissue that exists on the surface of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines), lungs, kidneys, and other organs, create a sheet that separates the body’s insides from the world outside. Epithelial tissue is the frontline of biological defense and the epithelial cells that this tissue forms work as a barrier that constantly eliminates the intrusion of foreign matter from the world outside. In contrast, these cells also excel at the seemingly contradictory functions of sorting out and selectively transporting necessary substances (excretion and absorption) while supporting “the homeostasis of a living organism.” The failure of epithelial cell functions is directly connected to a variety of illnesses, and because epithelial cells multiply at a very vigorous rate, at least 90% of cancers occur in epithelial cells. I am using model animals and cultured cells to conduct research to understand the degree of regulation and instruction that are given to the proteins that handle membrane transportation, including excretion and absorption, to conduct control in epithelial cells.
Message to Students
I want to help all of you in the journey towards your future paths
For everyone in the Department of Pharmacy, it is expected that you will be active as “pharmacists that are part of medical staff.” For everyone in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, it is expected that you will be active as “medicine-related researchers.” The future path that each of you will journey upon is yours to choose, but I want to do what I can to help all of you, whether that means occasionally showing you a path, leading you by the hand, or pushing you forward. Through my classes (biochemistry, structure and functions of the human body, etc.), I would like to communicate the mysteries as well as the delicate controls of what happens inside our bodies, and if possible, I would also like to impart the magnificence of life itself. I would like to make a conscious effort to have lively and impactful classes that incorporate moderate amounts of “exact and appropriate” examples, as well as quizzes, and some slightly groan-inducing bad puns, so that you’re not just memorizing inorganic terms (technical terms) and structural formulas. Even in my research, I would like to place value on questions that have me scratching my head as well as realizations that make me gasp, and move forward towards understanding the delicate controls of the phenomena of life with a focus on epithelial tissue.