International Center for Brain Science, FUJITA HEALTH UNIVERSITY

Division of Neurochemistry

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Projects

Preemptive medicine is a novel model of personalized medicine in which the factor of a disease is predicted at an earlier stage and regulated by therapeutic interventions. To develop preemptive medicine for neuropsychiatric diseases, our department aims at discovering the molecular targets for neuropsychiatric diseases, such as stress-induced depression and tau lesion-induced Alzheimer's disease, using animal models and clinical research in order to develop diagnostic and therapeutic agents.

Members

Akihiro Mouri

Akihiro Mouri Unit leader and Professor of Department of Regulatory Science, Research Promotion Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Fujita Health University

Our goal is to develop novel therapeutic agents, phytochemicals, and diagnostic biomarkers. This will be achieved by analyzing pathological and pathogenic mechanisms of psychiatric disorders in mouse models that we develop based on epidemiological and genetic findings in patients.

Kazuo Kunisawa

Kazuo Kunisawa Associate Professor of Department of Regulatory Science, Research Promotion Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Fujita Health University

To elucidate the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, we are analyzing 1) peripheral-central interactions through the composition of the intestinal microflora and function of peripheral immune cells, and 2) glial-neural interactions through glial cell-specific genetic interventions.

Masaya Hasegawa

Masaya Hasegawa Assistant Professor, Department of Regulatory Science

We study the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as stress-induced depression. In particular, we focus on cellular mechanisms of microglia and their impairments in adaptive responses to stress to develop new therapeutic avenues.

Hitomi Kurahashi

Hitomi Kurahashi Assistant Professor, Department of Regulatory Science

Our research seeks to understand mechanisms of cognitive decline across the lifespan in animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders, aging and Alzheimer's disease. Based on these mechanisms, we aim to develop novel therapeutics and biomarkers for clinical use.

Kuniaki Saito

Kuniaki Saito Director, Center for Society-Academia Collaboration

Objective diagnosis and assessment of psychiatric disorders are difficult because they are based on interviews and questionnaires. Our goal is to establish new biomarkers for psychiatric disorders from blood and other sources that can be used to assess the onset and severity of symptoms, and the efficacy of medications.

Toshitaka Nabeshima

Toshitaka Nabeshima Professor of Laboratory of Health and Medical Science Innovation, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences

The pathogenesis and etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders are complicated and diverse. We aim to overcome neuropsychiatric disorders by integrating clinical research analyzing the biomarkers of diseases with basic research using animal models and cell culture.

Main publications

  1. Hasegawa M, Kunisawa K, Wulaer B, Kubota H, Kurahashi H, Sakata T, Ando H, Fujigaki S, Fujigaki H, Yamamoto Y, Nagai T, Saito K, Nabeshima T, Mouri A. Chronic stress induces behavioural changes through increased kynurenic acid by downregulation of kynurenine-3-monooxygenase with microglial decline.
    Br J Pharmacol. 2025 Apr;182(7):1466-1486. 
  2. Tanabe M, Kunisawa K, Saito I, Kosuge A, Tezuka H, Kawai T, Kon Y, Yoshidomi K, Kagami A, Hasegawa M, Kubota H, Ojika H, Fujii T, Tochio T, Hirooka Y, Saito K, Nabeshima T, Mouri A. Mol Psychiatry. Adolescent social isolation decreases colonic goblet cells and impairs spatial cognition through the reduction of cystine. 2025 In press.
  3. Kurahashi H, Kunisawa K, Tanaka KF, Kubota H, Hasegawa M, Miyachi M, Moriya Y, Hasegawa Y, Nagai T, Saito K, Nabeshima T, Mouri A. Neuropsychopharmacology. Autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors induced by hyper-glutamatergic NMDA receptor signaling through hypo-serotonergic 5-HT1A receptor signaling in the prefrontal cortex in mice exposed to prenatal valproic acid. 2025 Apr;50(5):739-750.
  4. Kubota H, Kunisawa K, Wulaer B, Hasegawa M, Kurahashi H, Sakata T, Tezuka H, Kugita M, Nagao S, Nagai T, Furuyashiki T, Narumiya S, Saito K, Nabeshima T, Mouri A. High salt induces cognitive impairment via the interaction of the angiotensin II-AT1 and prostaglandin E2-EP1 systems.  Br J Pharmacol. 2023 Sep;180(18):2393-2411.
  5. Kosuge A, Kunisawa K, Arai S, Sugawara Y, Shinohara K, Iida T, Wulaer B, Kawai T, Fujigaki H, Yamamoto Y, Saito K, Nabeshima T, Mouri A. Heat-sterilized Bifidobacterium breve prevents depression-like behavior and interleukin-1β expression in mice exposed to chronic social defeat stress. Brain Behav Immun. 2021 Aug;96:200-211.

Information

Division of Neurochemistry（Regulatory Science, Research Promotion Unit, School of Medical Sciences）

Department of Advanced Diagnostic System Development, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences

Advanced diagnostic system research lab,Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences

Department of Regulatory Science for Evaluation & Development of Pharmaceuticals & Devices,Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences

Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research(J-DO）

【Address】
#102, 10th building, Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
【Contact】
E-mail：mouri(at)fujita-hu.ac.jp ／ Tel：+81-562-93-9647
※ Please replace “(at)” with “@”.

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