The Balance between Cell "Life" and "Death"—Discovery of a Drug That Inhibits Cell "Death"

Masaya Imoto (Professor, Department of Biosciences and Informatics)

Our bodies are composed of as many as 60 trillion cells, which maintain life by performing diverse roles under a highly regulated system. If genetic mutations occur in these cells or if they are subjected to stress, the internal regulatory mechanisms can become abnormal. This disrupts the balance between cell "life" and "death," leading to the development of various diseases. For example, when cells that should have died due to genetic damage continue to live, they can cause diseases such as cancer. Conversely, the abnormal death of cells can lead to conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

We are investigating the mechanisms that regulate this balance between "life" and "death." Specifically, we aim to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of cancer and Alzheimer's disease. We do this by investigating, at the molecular level, the changes that occur within cells when genes (or their mutant versions) thought to be involved in regulating cell "life" and "death" are expressed in normal cells, or conversely, when those genes are disrupted. At the same time, we are also aiming to develop therapeutic drugs for cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Microorganisms produce numerous compounds with diverse structures and unique physiological activities, and quite a few are already in use as pharmaceuticals. Therefore, we are searching for compounds, primarily from microbial products, that can suppress the action of genes involved in the onset of cancer and Alzheimer's disease. We are also investigating the mechanisms by which these discovered compounds suppress the action of disease-related genes to explore their potential for therapeutic application.

This research into the mechanisms regulating cell "life" and "death" and the development of therapeutic drugs is by no means easy to achieve, but it holds great promise and is very exciting.