Ongoing collaborative project for building a symbiotic society with dementia: the analysis of Alzheimer's pathogenic changes by 'ageing' of disease-relevant proteins.

Abstract

In Japan, the ageing society correlates to a significant burden of care for elderly people with dementia. Researchers are exploring the epidemiology of the disease, as well as the social aspects. This includes understanding what a well-functioning society encompassing people with dementia looks like. Professor Naoko Utsunomiya-Tate, Laboratory Head at the Laboratory of Biomolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Pharma-Sciences, Teikyo University, Japan, is engaged in two key research strands: 'Building a symbiotic society with dementia' and 'Biophysical and structural chemical research on the racemisation of the pathogenic protein in the onset process of Alzheimer's disease'. Utsunomiya-Tate envisions a symbiotic society in which people with dementia aren't tucked away in care homes and healthcare facilities but, rather, well integrated into, and respected by, society. She and her team are working to develop diagnostic, preventative and treatment measures and anticipate possible issues in advance of implementing these in society in order to develop solutions. Utsunomiya-Tate is collaborating with Senior Assistant Professor Genta Ito and an interdisciplinary team of researchers to identify pathogenic protein variants that suppress fibrillisation and aggregate formation, to elucidate the mechanism underlying the cell-to-cell transfer of Tau aggregates, and to develop gene therapy targeting the etiological proteins of dementia. The team also aims to understand how D-isomerisation of the amino acids constituting amyloid β and Tau protein is involved in the process of their fibrillisation and aggregation.