Clarification of the Biological Functions of Sugar Chains and the Use of this Knowledge in Applied Technologies
Strategic Sector
Research Supervisor
Year Started
Outline
The goal of this research area is to clarify currently unknown biological functions of sugar chains in glycoproteins, glycolipids and proteoglycans and to apply this knowledge to unsolved biomedical problems. Specifically, this area includes the clarification of the new functions regarding roles of sugar chains and the control mechanisms in the central nervous functions, morphogenesis and differentiation and studies of possible applications such as suppressing cancer invasion and metastasis and the prevention of infection by means of the remodeling of sugar chains. This area also includes the research on the development of the methods for modulation of immune control directed toward disease prevention, diagnosis and therapy. Research directed toward the development of methods for the ultra-microanalysis of sugar chains and technology that will permit visualizing dynamic changes in signal transduction that are directly related to sugar chains are also included.