Secretariat, Alumni Association, IDAC
Date Wednesday, February 22, 2016 (17:00-18:00)
Room 7th Floor, Seminar Room 1, IDAC Center for Basic Aging Research
Title Targeting RNA networks to combat chronic inflammatory diseases
Speaker Nakamura, Takahisa
Affiliation Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Organizer Koetsu OGASAWARA (Department of Immunobiology・ext 8579)
Abstract A broad array of inflammatory and stress responses is frequently evoked in various tissues during the pathogenesis of obesity. This atypical state adversely affects nutrient metabolism and insulin action, which is a risk factor for chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the molecular basis for the induction of inflammatory responses in obesity remains elusive, and there is an urgent need to elucidate mechanisms concerning why and how the atypical inflammation causes the vast network of pathological responses in these diseases. Based on our previous findings, we have proposed that atypical inflammation results from deregulated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) processing/signaling in obesity and aging, which disrupts energy and metabolic homeostasis. This presentation will focus on the regulation of endogenous dsRNA and microRNA-mediated events and how their functional changes are associated with inflammatory responses and metabolic deterioration in obesity. Further, I would like to discuss the possibility that our knowledge could lead to the design of novel therapeutics that target the RNA networks for the prevention and cure of obesity- and aging-associated sequelae.