Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Therapy and  pharpharmacology

 

Professor@Atsumi Nitta, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor@Naotaka Izuo, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor@Takashi Asano, Ph.D.

 

@We attempt to clarify the cause of various kinds of mental diseases, such as schizophrenia, autism, depression, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson disease, and dementia. Our final goal of our research projects is establishments of new pharmaceutical treatments for these diseases. Our main projects are shown as below;

 

1.     Clarify the effect of novel molecules in the psychiatric diseases

We found new three molecules using by cDNA subtraction methods from the nucleus accumbens of psychostimulant-treated mice.

 

2.     To be clear the mechanisms of nicotine and methamphetamine addiction

We are studying why the prohibition of smoking is difficult to smokers, why it is difficult to free from drug dependence.

 

3.     Development of a neuropsychiatric disorder model animal and a cell model, and development of a curative medicine

To make a new medicine, the animal models of mental diseases are indispensable. However, it is so difficult to create the neuropsychiatric disorder model because we cannot hear the feeling of an animal. Then, we pursued about the genetic factor and environmental factor of neuropsychiatric disorder, and aims at creation of a model animal, and creation of the curative medicine.

 

4.     Pharmaceutical studies

We propose new systems to supply best pharmaceutical services.

 

We behavioral, biochemical and molecular biological methods for the studies for making the diseases' animal models.  We have expected to rescue the patient from psychiatric and neurological diseases.

 

 

Recent publications

1.          Furukawa-Hibi, Y., Nitta, A., Ikeda, T., Morishita, K., Liu, W., Ibi, D., Tursun, A., Nabeshima, T. and Yamada, K. :The hydrophobic dipeptide Leu-Ile inhibits immobility induced by repeated forced swimming via the induction of BDNF.  Behav Brain Res. 220,271-280 (2011)

2.          Cen, X., Nitta, A., Ibi, D., Zhao, Y., Niwa, M., Taguchi, K., Hamada, M., Ito, Y., Ito, Y., Wang, L. and Nabeshima, T.: Identification of Piccolo as a regulator of behavioral plasticity and dopamine transporter internalization. Mol. Psychiatry, 13, 451-463 (2008) (-IMAGE; gPiccolo regulates dopamine transporter internalization via PIP2h, Mol. Psychiatry, 13, 349, 2008)

3.          Niwa, M., Nitta, A., Mizoguchi, H., Ito, Y., Noda, Y., Nagai, T. and Nabeshima, T.: A novel molecule eshatif is involved in methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, sensitization, and conditioned place preference. J. Neurosci., 27, 7604-7615 (2007)