University of Illinois at Peoria - College of Medicine

Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, MD, PhD

Professor, Department of Cancer Biology & Pharmacology
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOM-P), Peoria IL
 
Contact me:   E-mail:   kfukuchi@uic.edu
                        Phone:  309-671-8545  
                        Mail:       University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria 
                                        Department of Cancer Biology & Pharmacology 
                                        P.O. Box 1649, Peoria, IL 61656-1649

NIH/NIA 1R21AG031979 “Statins for Alzheimer's disease immunotherapy” P.I. Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, 15% effort, 03/15/08-02/28/11 Total Direct Costs $233,750 (Total costs $362,313)

NIH 1R01AG030399 “Innate immunity in Alzheimer's disease: Role of toll-like receptor signaling” P.I. Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, 30% effort, 08/01/09-07/31/14 Total Direct Costs $1,025,000 (Total Costs $1,609,250)

NIH 1R21 AG037814-01 “Catalytic and non-catalytic Ig gene delivery for Alzheimer's disease” P.I. Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, 15% effort, 07/01/10-06/30/12 Total Direct Costs $233,750 (Total costs $366,988)

Research

I am interested in studying the molecular mechanisms underlying aging and age-associated diseases and in developing new preventive and therapeutic measures against such diseases.

My current research includes development of novel preventive and therapeutic measures against Alzheimer disease (AD) and study of the pathogenesis of AD.  We are advancing novel vaccination modalities against AD and optimizing the efficacy and safety of gene therapy modalities against AD and inclusion body myositis (IBM). We are deciphering the molecular mechanism by which the innate immune system clears accumulated amyloid protein from the brain. We are working on genetic modifications of mice in order to develop better animal models of AD and IBM, which are essential for studying the disease mechanisms as well as searching for new treatment and prevention.

Selected Publications    Total:  73 publications,  66 peer-reviewed papers, 3 book chapters, 4 invited reviews

1. Lalonde R., Kim H.D., Maxwell J.A, Fukuchi K. Exploratory activity and spatial learning in 12-month-old APP₆₉₅ SWE/co+PS1/DE9 mice with amyloid plaques.  Neurosci. Lett. 390: 87-92, 2005.

2. Dumont M., Lalonde R., Fukuchi K.,  Strazielle C. Regional acetylcholinesterase activity and its correlation with behavioral performances in transgenic mice expressing the human C99 fragment of APP. J. Neural. Transm. 113: 1225-1241, 2006.

3. Cao D., Fukuchi K., Wan H., Kim H., Li L. Lack of LDL receptor aggravates learning deficits and amyloid deposits in Alzheimer transgenic mice. Neurobiol. Aging 27: 1632-1643, 2006.

4. Fukuchi K., Kim H.D., Tahara K., Cao Y., Lewis T.L., Kim H., Accavitti-Loper M.A., Lalonde R. Amelioration of amyloid load by anti-Aβ single chain antibody in Alzheimer mouse model. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 344: 79-86, 2006.

5. Fukuchi K., Tahara K., Kim H.D., Maxwell J.A., Lewis T.L., Kim H., Accavitti-Loper M.A., Ponnazhagan S., Lalonde R. Anti-Aβ single chain antibody delivery via adeno-associated virus for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiol. Dis. 23: 502-511, 2006.

6. Tahara K., Kim H.D., Maxwell J.A., Li L., Fukuchi K. Role of toll-like receptor signaling in Aβ uptake and clearance. Brain 129: 3006-3019, 2006.

7. Li L., Cao D., Chen J., Kim H., Lester R. Fukuchi K. Simbastatin enhances learning and memory independent of amyloid load in mice. Ann. Neurol. 60: 729-739, 2006.

8. Kim H.D., Tahara K., Maxwell J.A., Lalonde R., Fukuiwa T., Fujihashi K., Van Kampen K.R., Kong F.K., Tang D.C.,  Fukuchi K. Nasal inoculation of an adenovirus vector encoding 11 tandem repeats of Aβ1-6 upregulates IL-10 expression and reduces amyloid load in a Mo/Hu APPswe PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer disease. J. Gene Med. 9: 88-98, 2007.

9. Kim H.D., Jin J.J., Maxwell J.A., Fukuchi K. Enhancing Th2 immune responses against amyloid protein by a DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen for Alzheimer’s disease. Immunol. Lett. 112: 30-38, 2007.

10. Jin J.J., Kim H.D., Maxwell J.A., Li L., and Fukuchi K. Toll-like receptor 4-dependent upregulation of cytokines in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. J. Neuroinflammation 5:23, 2008.

11. Kou J, Kim HD, Jin JJ, Cao D, Li L, Lalonde R, Fukuchi K. Simvastatin enhances immune responses to Aβ vaccination and attenuates vaccination-induced behavioral alterations. Brain Res. 2010.