Professor Ito Genta's research theme is elucidating the causes of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Both are diseases caused by damage to the cranial nerves for some reason, and PET scans have made it possible to check the extent of brain damage.

In Alzheimer's disease, it is known that for some reason, some of the proteins in the body change into a mirror-image structure (isomerization), resulting in many proteins in the body with properties different from normal.

Professor Ito's team was the first in the world to discover an enzyme (an enzyme found in all animals, including humans) that recognizes isomerized amino acids and cleaves proteins. They proposed the hypothesis that isomerized proteins are the causative agent of Alzheimer's disease, and that the enzyme they discovered may have the function of removing them.

Proposing a hypothesis does not necessarily mean that the cause has been elucidated. All we know is that patients with aging-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease have a high level of isomerized proteins, and that specific enzymes can cleave these isomerized proteins. However, papers summarizing the research are shared online with the world. With more fellow researchers, the speed of research and analysis will increase, and there is the possibility of dramatic advances in medicine and treatments in the future.

Just as researchers pass the baton to the world through their papers, it is important for people all over the world to work hard at the challenges facing them in relation to the SDGs and continue to share the solutions they discover. By sharing the methods and results that someone has discovered, the network will expand and we will be able to contribute to solving the problems of others who are unaware of them.