A deep understanding of the mechanisms of life phenomena helps to elucidate the causes of disease and to develop treatments. However, in some cases, the pursuit of the essence of a disease may lead to the discovery of a universal principle concerning the mechanisms of life. A good example is the work by Goldstein and Brown, who won the Nobel Prize for their elucidation of the general mechanism of cholesterol metabolism in patients with marked hypercholesterolemia.

In Japan, the number of patients with metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity continues to increase. On the other hand, aging-related functional disorders such as "emaciation," loss of muscle mass, and frailty in the elderly have become a major social problem as the super-aging society progresses. In our laboratory, we are utilizing the latest technologies to study the pathogenic mechanisms of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome, as well as the molecular mechanisms of metabolic alterations that characterize the aging process.

We hope to contribute to society by disseminating the obtained "medical knowledge" to the world. In order to obtain new knowledge, we must read the literature, obtain knowledge, formulate hypotheses, and actively conduct experiments to test our hypotheses. It is important to continue to do so without giving up, even if there are a few failures. I would like to provide guidance based on such a policy to foster young human resources who can play an active role on the world stage from Kumamoto.

I believe that the most exciting part of research is the joy of first discovering unknown phenomena, causes of diseases, and basic principles of the body that no one has ever known. While studying at the University of Chicago in the United States, I succeeded in identifying several diabetes-causing genes for the first time in the world, and had the good fortune to catch a glimpse of the mysterious mechanisms of nature that govern life activities. I hope that as many young people as possible will experience this kind of experience. I look forward to the participation of people from not only the Faculty of Medicine but also from many other faculties widely.

Department of Pathophysiological Biochemistry, Graduate School of Life Science, Kumamoto University　

 

Professor Kazuya Yamagata

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