Tokyo Women's Medical University

School of Medicine

Human Pathology & Pathological Neuroscience

Overview

The Department of Pathology (Pathological Neuroscience) is working to solve problems that emerge through clinical medicine and human pathology (surgical pathology and pathological autopsy) by using human materials, experimental animals, and cultured cells, with the major goal of obtaining molecular cytopathological information that will lead to the elucidation of pathological conditions and therapeutic strategies. For this reason, all M.D. staff members work concurrently with the Pathology Department, continually cultivating a way of thinking rooted in surgical pathology and pathologic autopsy. In other words, the experimental pathology that we are engaged in is positioned as translational research and basic research that leads to translational research with an awareness of feedback to medical practice.

Education Details

?S2:Regulation and abnormalities of the cell cycle, neuron-glia interactions
?S3:Etiology and pathogenesis
?S5:Basic and medical expression techniques, How to make a presentation at conferences
?S6: Cytopathology of neurons and glia, pathology of neurodegenerative diseases, pathology of nervous system infections, pathology of central nervous system malformations, pathology of cerebrovascular disorders, brain tumor pathology each, pathology of motor organs, pathology of visual organs, pathology of otorhinolaryngological field, research projects (conference presentation experience)
?S8:Basic clinical practice, CPC
?S9:Practical training in elective department

Research Details

?Atsushi Kurata (Professor and Director of Core Fields): The goal is to elucidate the contribution of intimal smooth muscle dedifferentiation in the destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques, and to use this information for the prevention and treatment of myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. In addition, we aim to contribute to regenerative medicine by inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cell-derived teratomas.
?Tomoko Yamamoto (Associate Professor): We are analyzing the possible multifunction of Fukutin, the gene responsible for Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy, especially on neurons and astrocytes, using human materials, experimental animals and cultured cells.
?Hirotsugu Hashimoto (Associate Professor): Hemangiomas of the lung have been considered rare; since we report the clinicopathologic features of SPCH in 2016 at first, similar reports with larger number of cases have been published, especially in East Asia. However, the epidemiology and molecular pathology of SPCH have not been fully analyzed. We are now conducting a Sanger sequence to confirm the genetic mutations and to elucidate the pathogenesis mechanism of the disease, targeting the genetic mutations frequently observed in hemangiomas in other organs.
?Motoko Niida (Adjunct Lecturer): We are analyzing the mechanism of adult brain neuronal cell renewal using Smad4-conditional knockout mice and primary culture systems.

Faculty

Professor and Division head Atsushi KURATA
Visiting Professor (Invited) Shuji OGINO
Associate Professor Hirotsugu HASHIMOTO
Associate Professor Tomoko YAMAMOTO

Graduate School

?Relationship between atherosclerosis and the degree of intimal smooth muscle differentiation
?Induction of differentiation of pluripotent stem cell-derived teratomas
?Surgical pathology of brain tumors
?Biological activity of the Fukutin gene product
?Molecular pathogenesis of thyroid cancer
?Neurogenesis of the adult brain
?Molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, especially amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
?Molecular pathogenesis of acute stroke

Related links

Research Achievements Database

---