Plenary Lecture
Small Molecular Compound for Neuroregenerative Therapies
Dr. Kiminobu Sugaya
Professor of Medicine
University of Central Florida
USA
E-mail: ksugaya@ucf.edu
Abstract: We have reported that neural stem cell implantation to the aged memory impaired model animal improve the cognition and behavior. We also showed that we can produce pluripotent stem cells from adult stem cells by the over expression of an embryonic stem cell gene, which is a big topic in regenerative therapy. Now we report that a small molecular compound, which significantly increases endogenous neural stem cells (NSC) by systemic administration, may bring a cure for neurodegenerative diseases. This drug treatment totally reversed behavioral deficit in Parkinson’s disease model produced by MPTP injection. However, we may have to consider the pathological environment that might alter the biology of stem cells in some neurodegenerative diseases, because in order for the endogenous NSCs to be functional they have to be differentiated into the proper types of cells, and integrated into the proper part of the host brain. We have reported that amyloid precursor protein, which makes A-beta deposition in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) increased glial differentiation of NSCs. Thus, we might not get efficient neurogenesis even if we treat AD with our small molecular compound. In this talk I will discuss how to increase neurogenesis under AD pathological condition by controlling APP level with our small molecular compound. This combination pharmacological treatment could be the future of neuroregenerative therapy.
Brief Biography of the Speaker: Dr. Kiminobu Sugaya is a professor of medicine in Burnett School of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida (UCF) since 2004. He is a Director of Multidisciplinary Neuroscience Alliance of UCF, a Chair of Neuroscience Consortium for Central Florida, and a Chair of Central Florida Chapter of Society for Neuroscience. He is also founder and chair of Progenicyte, which is a biotech company holding his 28 patents and 36 patent pending. He is conducting stem cell researches to treat neurodegenerative diseases by the adult stem cells. He recently received National Honor Plaque of Panama for exceptional contribution to neuroscience based on his study on stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases from the President of Panama.
Dr. Sugaya earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D from the Science University of Tokyo (1979-1988). He received a postdoctoral training from Dr. Ezio Giacobini, who built the base for the current cholinesterase Alzheimer’s disease therapies, at the Southern University of Illinois. Then he moved to the Mayo Clinic at Jacksonville, where he introduced the hypothesis of glial activation as a mechanism of neurodegeneration and became Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Associate Consultant. He moved to the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1997. Where he became Associate Professor. He has further expanded his research area to the use of stem cell. His publication regarding improvement of memory in the aged animal by stem cell transplantation was reported Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC and other media in all over the world.