Cutting edge Seminar

 

Speaker:  Yuji Mishina (William R. Mann Professor, University of Michigan School of Dentistry)

Title:　New aspects of Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling: Coupling of osteoclast-osteoblast function and a bridge between genetics and epigenetics

 

※This seminar can also be attended through ZOOM. Please check the URL on “HIGO Cutting-Edge Seminar” at Moodle.

https://md.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/course/view.php?id=114380

 

Abstract:

Stress from adverse and demanding conditions affects cognitive and emotional functions and risks mental illness such as depression. Since the biological basis of stress has remained elusive, therapeutic development targeting stress has not been established. Rodent studies using stress models have elucidated multiple neurobiological consequences of stress, depending on the stress conditions. We have found that acute stress induces dendritic hypertrophy of prefrontal neurons via the dopamine D1 receptor, augmenting stress resilience, whereas chronic stress attenuates prefrontal dopaminergic activity and induces dendritic atrophy of prefrontal neurons through microglia-driven neuroinflammation, leading to behavioral disturbances. In addition, chronic stress mobilizes leukocytes from the bone marrow, synergizing with neuroinflammation to promote behavioral disturbances. These findings have been considered clinically relevant since clinical studies have reported the association between inflammation and depression. Despite the great advancement in understanding the biological basis of stress, various mysteries remain, such as how acute and chronic stress causes different neurobiological consequences, how the individual variability of stress susceptibility emerges, and how multi-organ interactions underlie stress-induced neuropsychiatric dysfunctions. In this talk, I will present our recent studies about biological mechanisms of stress pathology with rodent stress models and discuss their relevance to therapeutic developments for mental illness.