Members

Research Focus

New anti-amyloid-β antibody therapies, including lecanemab and donanemab, have recently been introduced into clinical practice in Japan, marking a new phase in dementia treatment. Traditionally, the clinical diagnosis of dementia relied mainly on clinical symptoms and structural neuroimaging. However, biomarkers that reflect underlying brain pathology are now playing an increasingly important role in the diagnostic process. In parallel, disease-modifying therapies that directly target pathological proteins have become a major focus of dementia research and drug development. To support this shift in dementia care, our laboratory has been conducting research aimed at improving clinical practice and advancing early diagnosis. Using blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples collected through multiple dementia cohort studies, we have developed biomarkers that capture the progression of brain pathology from the preclinical stage to the early symptomatic phase. Among these approaches, blood-based biomarkers are expected to become particularly important for the future diagnosis of dementia because of their accessibility and scalability. We have also collaborated with industry partners to develop efficient blood-based biomarkers by combining clinical expertise with advanced analytical technologies. Recently, we demonstrated that plasma p-tau217 shows diagnostic performance comparable to that of CSF biomarkers for detecting amyloid-β pathology in the brain. In addition to biomarker research, we consider genomic information essential for understanding dementia. We have established one of the largest dementia genome cohorts in Japan and are conducting whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing analyses to identify genetic risk factors specific to the Japanese population. Importantly, we identified the APOE ε7 allele as a protective genetic factor against Alzheimer's disease in the Japanese population. We also demonstrated that polygenic risk scores can be effectively applied to Japanese patients with Alzheimer's disease to estimate inherited risk. Furthermore, we are promoting the clinical implementation of genomic testing, including clinical sequencing and APOE genotyping, with the goal of advancing precision medicine for dementia. Although the landscape of dementia research continues to evolve, we remain committed to our mission of contributing to a better society for patients with dementia and their families through continued scientific and clinical progress.