In our lab, to develop the therapeutic approach for ischemia-related brain damage, we are investigating alteration of nucleotide-mediated regulation of neuron-glia network under basal and stress-loaded conditions. Especially, we focus on purinergic receptor and nucleoside transporter. So far, we revealed that P2X7 receptor, which is an unique purinergic receptor and recognized as "death receptor", was activated under not only pathological but also basal conditions in cultured astrocytes, differing from neuron and microglia. To find out its role in maintain brain homeostasis, we are examining the functional expression and regulatory mechanisms of P2X7 receptor in astrocytes, neurons and microglia under basal and stress-loaded conditions.
  Adenosine is also a signaling molecule in neuronal cell network. We recently demonstrated that equilibrative nucleoside transporters expressed by astrocytes had more important role than those in neurons. As well known findings, extracellular concentration of adenosine, which has neuro-protective effect, is increased under stress-loaded conditions, but there is no detail information on it. We are investigating whether functional expression of equilibrative nucleoside transpoter expressed by astrocytes is altered under stress-loaded conditions.