Joji Kusuyama

所属大学
Tohoku University
部局
Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
職名
Assistant Professor
関連領域
Life and Environments

専門分野

研究キーワード

Endocrinological Metabology
Exercise Physiology
Epigenetics

所属学会

研究テーマ

The prevention of metabolic dysfunction and congenital diseases in the next generation

研究概要

Recent studies showed that poor lifestyle in both mothers and fathers of reproductive age not only harms their health but also initiates a vicious cycle of metabolic dysfunction, propagating risk to offspring via epigenetic and metabolic mechanisms. I demonstrated that maternal exercise during pregnancy is a promising method as a “preemptive medical treatment” to prevent the transmission obesity and diabetes from the current generation to the next generation. I identified that placenta-derived proteins are important factors that transmit the beneficial effects of exercise to offspring. We are comprehensively analyzing; 1) boosting nutrients to enhance the benefits of maternal exercise, 2) maternal organs and mediators that activates exercise-placenta signaling axis, 3) physiological parameters that can quantify placental functions. My hypothesis is that the placenta is a transducer that conveys maternal information to their children. To prevent lifestyle-related diseases and congenital diseases in the next generation, I try to utilize placental function with the combination of molecular genetics, informatics, devices, and psychology in TI-FRIS. I would like to translate my findings from highly specialized bench-side to daily life-side through the use of cutting-edge technology and clinical insights.