In recent years, our lab has focused on how exosome-mediated inter-organ communication contributes to neural function and mental and physiological states.
In particular, we study stress responses as well as neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, examining how exosomes released from specific cell types and organs in response to changes in physiological or pathological states affect target tissues, including the brain.
Accumulating evidence from our work suggests that exosomes are not merely disease markers, but active mediators of information transfer that contribute to disease initiation and progression.
In parallel with these fundamental studies, our lab is also developing strategies to target exosomes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, aiming to translate our findings toward startup creation and industrial innovation.
Through these studies, we aim to establish a new framework for understanding neurological disorders and mental states not as problems of the brain alone, but from the perspective of inter-organ communication.