TEIKYO SDGs reportPharmacythat works for the world
- Taking on Alzheimer's -
Genta Ito, Associate Professor Teikyo University Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
After graduating from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2003, he went on to the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Tokyo Graduate School, where he became a Teaching Associate (later Assistant Professor) in 2006. From 2013 to 2016, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit at the University of Dundee, UK, and in 2017, he served as a specially appointed Senior Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School the University of Tokyo. Since 2021, he has been a Senior Assistant Professor of Teikyo University Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and has been serving as a Teikyo University Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Professor since 2025.
To summarize this report ...
Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are diseases that occur when the brain's nerves are damaged in some way. However, it is still unknown what causes these conditions.
Dr. Ito is a pharmacist who continues to research the causative agents of these diseases.
In particular, we focused on the fact that there were many "isomerized amino acids" in the proteins in the patient's body.
Furthermore, they discovered an enzyme that can recognize the isomerized portion and cleave the protein. They are currently continuing research into whether this enzyme protects cells from aging.
Pharmaceutical research takes many years, but by focusing on the problem at hand and publishing papers, researchers can pass the baton to researchers around the world, dramatically speeding up the process of solving the problem.
A scientific approach can provide clues for achieving the SDGs. People all over the world can solve the problems they face and share their methods and results with the world, helping someone, somewhere.
Cranial nerve disease
My current research theme is elucidating the causes of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. I have been researching Parkinson's disease in particular for over 20 years. Alzheimer's disease affects a person's cognitive abilities, while Parkinson's disease affects their motor abilities. Both diseases are very similar in that they arise from damage to the brain's nerves for some reason, and research into these diseases is progressing worldwide. With regard to Alzheimer's disease, medications have been developed that slow the progression of cognitive impairment, contributing to reducing the psychological burden on society as a whole. The fact that our research can have a concrete effect on many people is a great motivation for us researchers.
The difficulty with brain diseases lies in the inability to observe what is happening in a patient's brain in real time. However, with the advent of PET scans (Note 1), it is now possible to check the extent of brain damage. While various studies are uncovering the causes of the disease, a fundamental understanding has yet to be achieved. While aging is one of the main factors, it is not the sole cause, as there are also cases of early-onset Alzheimer's. Even within the context of aging, research is still underway into what happens to cells and the body. Furthermore, aging does not necessarily equal aging. Simply identifying which factors cause the disease is extremely difficult. Nevertheless, clinical research on Alzheimer's patients is being conducted worldwide, and progress is being made in understanding the situation. Research is being conducted day and night using vast amounts of data accumulated across racial and national boundaries, and there is no doubt that further progress will be made in elucidating the causes of the disease.
The discovered enzyme
I am focusing on a certain phenomenon: "isomerization of amino acids that make up proteins" (Note 2). This phenomenon occurs when a portion of a protein in the body undergoes a mirror-image structure, resulting in unusual properties. It is present in healthy individuals as well. However, it is present in higher amounts in patients with aging-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, and we believe it may be causally related to the disease. However, research into this phenomenon has not progressed significantly until now. This is because isomerization cannot be detected using routine analytical methods, and its existence is largely unknown. I became interested in this phenomenon after reading a research paper published more than 20 years ago that showed that animal tissues have the ability to recognize isomerized amino acids and cleave proteins. However, the enzyme responsible for this function remained unknown. After repeated experiments in our laboratory, we were the first to discover an enzyme that recognizes isomerized amino acids and cleaves proteins. This enzyme is present in all animals, including humans. We then proposed the hypothesis that proteins containing isomerized amino acids are one of the causative agents of disease, and that the enzyme we discovered may have the ability to remove them.
It would be nice to say that we have now identified the causative agent and found a solution, but in fact, we are still not even at the beginning, and there are many challenges ahead. First of all, we do not know how isomerized proteins affect the brain and nerves. Furthermore, even if we could remove only the isomerized proteins, we do not know whether symptoms would be alleviated, improved, or would not change at all. What we do know is that isomerized proteins increase with aging. Isomerized proteins accumulate in patients with aging-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. All we know is that isomerized proteins can be cleaved using a specific enzyme. We are still at the stage where we need to conduct many more experiments.
With friends from around the world
I have compiled my research and published a paper. The published paper is instantly shared online with the world. This will let researchers around the world know that there is an enzyme in the body that cleaves proteins containing isomerized amino acids, and as more colleagues become interested, the pace of research and analysis will increase. Of course, my own research will also continue. The world of science forms a network that transcends national borders and research fields, so my presentation may advance someone's research somewhere. It may even advance research that has stalled in an entirely different field. If our research progresses dramatically in the future, it may shed a ray of light on neurological diseases. There would be no greater experience than releasing a drug or treatment that I have developed into the world.
However, some research produces results quickly, while others take decades. Looking back 100 years from now, it may be possible to see immediately where my research is at, but in its current state, it may not even have started. By publishing a paper to the world, we can gain the cooperation and support of many more people. What one person can do alone is minimal, but the fact that we have colleagues around the world and can present high-quality results to them is important to us and is one of our missions.
SDGs and Pharmacy
Collaboration across disciplines is also important from a broad perspective for society as a whole. Pharmaceutical research requires a variety of instruments. For example, in this study, we used a fluorescence spectrophotometer and a nanoscale mass spectrometer. Some of these instruments have been around for a long time, while others are cutting-edge. Needless to say, analytical instruments, which represent the culmination of the work of our predecessors who researched analytical techniques themselves, have made a significant contribution to current pharmaceutical research. The same can be said for medicine in general. Global advances in science and technology have contributed to the development of groundbreaking diagnostic techniques, and collaboration across disciplines is also advancing the resolution of medical challenges. Treating diseases that pose social challenges, including aging-related diseases and emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19, could significantly improve people's lives and alleviate anxiety. Just as we pass the baton to the world through our papers, each scientist and engineer's efforts to solve countless problems enable someone, somewhere, to solve new research challenges.
I believe this structure holds clues to achieving the SDGs. The SDGs address a broad range of issues, making it difficult to pinpoint what will solve them. That's why I believe it's important for people around the world to tackle the challenges before us without hesitation and with all their might. Fortunately, the SDG network, including the United Nations, is expanding rapidly. By sharing information about a method or outcome discovered by someone, we can contribute to solving the problems of someone completely unaware of it. Tackling challenges here and there leads to solutions. If we approach the SDGs from a scientific perspective, we should be able to directly apply scientific problem-solving methods. Individuals, corporations, and nations should each continue to tackle the challenges before them, which will promote the resolution of global issues. It's important to believe that tackling even small challenges and communicating the solutions we discover to the world is an approach to solving social issues.
*1: PET scan: PET = Positron Emission Tomography
*2: Isomerization: The process by which a molecule changes its atomic arrangement and transforms into a different molecule, while keeping the atomic composition exactly the same.
