Towards unveiling the mystery of brain formation using original research techniques
Prof. Hiroshi Kawasaki
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences
Speciality: Molecular neuroscience and medicine
Laboratory of Medical Neuroscience
Our lab is examining the functions and development of the brain using a higher mammal, the ferret.
Compared with other animals, humans have highly developed brains, which mediate higher cognitive functions. Our lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution and development of the brains of higher mammals. Although most current studies are examining these mechanisms using mice, the brain of mice is far simpler than that of humans and does not have many important brain structures which the human brain has. To overcome the limitation of the mouse brain, we started to use the ferret, which is a member of the weasel family, and whose brain is more developed than the mouse brain and is closer to the human brain.
We established an original gene knock-out technique for the ferret brain.
Among the various brain regions, the cerebral cortex is the most important in terms of higher brain functions. The cerebral cortices of many mammals, including the human, have a number of folds, called gyri (gyrus for singular), which are thought to be the key to the development of brain functions. We have so far pioneered techniques to overexpress and knock out genes of interest in the cerebral cortex of ferrets using the genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas9. These techniques enabled us to investigate the molecular mechanisms of gyrus formation using the ferret cerebral cortex. We have successfully found that FGF (fibroblast growth factor) signaling is crucial for gyrus formation and that FGF signaling is involved in brain diseases such as polymicrogyria.
Towards the comprehensive elucidation of the mechanisms of brain formation of higher mammals through an international research collaboration network
We are taking on the challenges of revealing the whole picture of the formation of the cerebral cortex by collaborative research with scientists in the U.S. and Europe, which should also lead to the elucidation of various brain pathophysiologies and the development of new therapies. In addition, we would like to unveil the mechanism of brain evolution.
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