Biological organisms and computers have one thing in common. They are information processors. However, their operating systems are totally different. Biological operating system called 'genome' dynamically changes and continues to evolve without any help of intelligent supervisor. Although the speed of change may be too slow to be perceived for us in the time scale of human life, the accumulation of changes over the geological time is quite evident even to our eyes. The viewpoint that genome changes must be important one from which we understand why we get sick.
In our body, more rapid evolution is occurring. One example is the physiological mutations seen in antibody genes. Another is cancer. Cancer is notorious for genomic instability that confers it ability to elude host immune system and to survive harsh environments such as poor supply of oxygen and nutrients. In this sense, cancer is a winner of the evolution game. To play a game, one must have certain form of strategy. To know the strategy of cancer and invent a way to stop its evolvability should contribute to prevention and treatment of cancer, a evolving disease. The question is how does genome change?
Projects:
1. Carcinogenesis by AID
Acitivation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is an enzyme essential for antibody gene diversification by class-switch recombination and somatic hypermutation. Because action of AID is not limitted to antibody genes but also extends to the other genes, it can induce oncogenic mutations. Many lines of evidence suggest that AID is involved not only in lymphomagenesis but also in development of eptithelial cancer.（Read more）
2. AID polymorphism and diseases
As AID changes antibody specificity, AID gene polymorphism may influence person's susceptibility to immune diseases including pollen disease, atopic dermatitis and autoimmune diseases. As mentioned above, AID's connection to cancer is also possible. By analyzing correlation between accumulating genomic data and disease morbidity, we are trying to develop novel preventions and treatments of such diseases. (Read more)
3. Research support
We accept collaboration offers from hospitals within Shizuoka prefecture. Please feel free to ask us. (Read more).
Access:
Our laboratory (Lab 2) is located on the 4th floor of Research Building in the Shizuoka Graduate University of Publc Health.
Dr. Kazuo Kinoshita
Shizuoka Graduate University of Public Health
4-27-2, Kita-ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-0881, Japan
Tel: 054-295-5400 (main)
Fax: 054-248-3520