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DR. KINJI OHNO, MD., PHD.

DR. KINJI OHNO, MD., PHD.

“The astonishing effects of molecular hydrogen on a plethora of animal disease models and human patients made me very skeptical. However, after I witnessed with my own eyes in my own lab the remarkable benefits of hydrogen, I became a believer. This prompted me to change my research career and surge into hydrogen research. I believe it is my mission to use my expertise in molecular biology to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of hydrogen’s marked effects and to help other people realize the medical benefits of hydrogen gas.”

Professor, Department of Neurogenetics and Bioinformatics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine

Career Summary

  • 1977-1983 – Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan
  • 1983-1985 – Internship in Internal Medicine, Nagoya National Hospital, Japan
  • 1985-1988 – Residency and Staff in Neurology, Nagoya National Hospital, Japan
  • 1988-1992 – Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
  • 1992-1993 – JSPS (Japanese Society for Promotion of Science) Research
  • 1993-1995 – Research Fellow, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, USA
  • 1996-1998 – Research Associate, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, USA
  • 1998-2004 – Assistant Professor, Mayo Medical School, USA
  • 2004-present – Professor, Division of Neurogenetics, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
  • 2009-present Vice Dean, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine

Specialized field

Neurogenetics, Molecular mechanisms of neuromuscular transmission

Research Theme

  • Molecular pathomechanisms and the regulations of defective neuromuscular transmission defects
  • Physiology, pathology, and regulations of RNA metabolisms
  • Drug repositioning strategy for orphan diseases
  • Biological bases of the disease-preventing effects of molecular hydrogen

Original Articles

  • Fu Y, Ito M, Fujita Y, Ito M, Ichihara M, Masuda A, Suzuki Y, Maesawa S, Kajita Y, Hirayama M, Ohsawa I, Ohta S, Ohno K. Molecular hydrogen is protective against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced nigrostriatal degeneration in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Neurosci Lett 2009, 453: 81–85.
  • Itoh T, Fujita Y, Ito M, Masuda A, Ohno K, Ichihara M, Kojima T, Nozawa Y, Ito M. Molecular hydrogen suppresses FcepsilonRI-mediated signal transduction and prevents degranulation of mast cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009, 389: 651-656.
  • Itoh T, Hamada N, Terazawa R, Ito M, Ohno K, Ichihara M, Nozawa Y, Ito M. Molecular hydrogen inhibits lipopolysaccharide/interferon gamma-induced nitric oxide production through modulation of signal transduction in macrophages. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011, 411:143-149.
  • Ito M*, Ibi T*, Sahashi K, Ichihara M, Ito M, Ohno K. Open-label trial and randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of hydrogen-enriched water for mitochondrial and inflammatory myopathies. Med Gas Res 2011, 1:24. *Equal contribution.
  • Ito M, Hirayama M, Yamai K, Goto S, Ichihara M, Ohno K. Drinking hydrogen water and intermittent hydrogen gas exposure, but not lactulose or continuous hydrogen gas exposure, prevent 6-hydorxydopamine-induced Parkinson’s disease in rats. Med Gas Res 2012, 2:15.
  • Iio A, Ito M, Itoh T, Terazawa R, Fujita Y, Nozawa Y, Ohsawa I, Ohno K, Ito M. Molecular hydrogen attenuates fatty acid uptake and lipid accumulation through downregulating cd36 expression in HepG2 cells. Med Gas Res 2013, 3: 6.
  • Mano Y, Kotani T, Ito M, Nagai T, Ichinohashi Y, Yamada K, Ohno K, Kikkawa F, Toyokuni S. Maternal molecular hydrogen administration ameliorates rat fetal hippocampal damage caused by in utero ischemia-reperfusion. Free Radic Biol Med 2014, 69: 324-330.
  • Sobue S, Yamai K, Ito M, Ohno K, Ito M, Iwamoto T, Qiao S, Ohkuwa T. Simultaneous oral and inhalational intake of molecular hydrogen additively suppresses signaling pathways in rodents. Mol Cell Biochem, in press

Reviews

  • Ohta S, Nakao A, Ohno K. The 2011 Medical Molecular Hydrogen Symposium: An Inaugural Symposium of the Journal Medical Gas Research. Medical Gas Research 2011, 1:10.
  • Ohno K, Ito M, Ichihara M, and Ito M. Molecular Hydrogen as an Emerging Therapeutic Medical Gas for Neurodegenerative and Other Diseases. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2012, Article ID 353152.
  • Noda M, Fujita K, Ohsawa I, Ito M, Ohno K. Multiple effects of molecular hydrogen and its distinct mechanism. J Neurol Disord 2014, 2: 6
  • Noda M, Ito M, Ohsawa I, Ohno K. Beneficial effects of hydrogen in the cns and a new brain-stomach interaction. Eur J Neurodeg Dis, in press

Invited Presentations at Scientific Meetings (in English)

  • Ohno K Molecular Hydrogen as an Antioxidant – Review and our experience – University of Fukui Biomedical Imaging Research Center Research seminar, Fukui, Japan. Feb 2, 2009
  • Ohno K, Molecular hydrogen on oxidative stress diseases in nervous system. 36th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Kyoto, Japan. Jun 20, 2013