July 30, 2020
Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University
Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute
The Jikei University School of Medicine
A research group led by Senior Assistant Professor Yasuhiro Moriwaki and Professor Hidemi Misawa of the Department of Pharmacology (Division of), Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, in a joint study with Assistant Professor Daiki Ichikawa of the Department of Clinical Physiology and Therapeutics, Shotaro Tsuji, a principal investigator at the Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, and Professor Fusao Kato of The Jikei University School of Medicine, has elucidated a new function of a snake venom-like protein that exists in the brain.
It is known that a type of receptor for acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter in the body, has a high affinity for nicotine and plays a crucial role in brain function, inflammation, and immune regulation.
This study newly discovered that a snake venom-like protein produced in the bodies of mammals, including humans, regulates the activity of the aforementioned receptor. This finding is expected to lead to applications that will help elucidate the mechanism of action of this receptor on brain function, inflammation, and immune regulation, and contribute to clinical trials for brain, inflammatory, and immune diseases.
The results of this research were published online in the British scientific journal "Scientific Reports" on July 20, 2020.
Please see below for the full press release.