
Yasuyuki Kihara's Research Focus
- Discovery of therapeutic targets in multiple sclerosis (MS) and related neurological disorders.
- Systems biology approaches to the study of lipid mediators and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
Yasuyuki Kihara's Bio
Education
Ph.D., University of Tokyo (JAPAN), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
M.S., University of Tokyo (JAPAN), Medical Science
B.Pharm., Meiji Pharmaceutical University (JAPAN), Pharmacy
Honors and Recognition
2011-2014: HFSP Long-Term Fellowship
2009: Japanese Society of Neuroimmunology Award

Publications
Computational Modeling of Competitive Metabolism between ω3- and ω6-Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Inflammatory Macrophages.
Gupta S, Kihara Y, Maurya MR, Norris PC, Dennis EA, Subramaniam S
J Phys Chem B 2016 Aug 25 ;120(33):8346-53
Dimethyl fumarate inhibits integrin α4 expression in multiple sclerosis models.
Kihara Y, Groves A, Rivera RR, Chun J
Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2015 Oct ;2(10):978-83
Crystal Structure of Antagonist Bound Human Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 1.
Chrencik JE, Roth CB, Terakado M, Kurata H, Omi R, Kihara Y, Warshaviak D, Nakade S, Asmar-Rovira G, Mileni M, Mizuno H, Griffith MT, Rodgers C, Han GW, Velasquez J, Chun J, Stevens RC, Hanson MA
Cell 2015 Jun 18 ;161(7):1633-43
Molecular and neuroimmune pharmacology of S1P receptor modulators and other disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis.
Kihara Y, Chun J
Pharmacol Ther 2023 Jun ;246:108432
CAQK, a peptide associating with extracellular matrix components targets sites of demyelinating injuries.
Abi-Ghanem C, Jonnalagadda D, Chun J, Kihara Y, Ranscht B
Front Cell Neurosci 2022 ;16:908401
Novel Antagonist of the Type 2 Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor (LPA(2)), UCM-14216, Ameliorates Spinal Cord Injury in Mice.
Khiar-Fernández N, Zian D, Vázquez-Villa H, Martínez RF, Escobar-Peña A, Foronda-Sainz R, Ray M, Puigdomenech-Poch M, Cincilla G, Sánchez-Martínez M, Kihara Y, Chun J, López-Vales R, López-Rodríguez ML, Ortega-Gutiérrez S
J Med Chem 2022 Aug 25 ;65(16):10956-10974
Single-Nucleus RNA-seq of Normal-Appearing Brain Regions in Relapsing-Remitting vs. Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: Implications for the Efficacy of Fingolimod.
Kihara Y, Zhu Y, Jonnalagadda D, Romanow W, Palmer C, Siddoway B, Rivera R, Dutta R, Trapp BD, Chun J
Front Cell Neurosci 2022 ;16:918041
Differential activation mechanisms of lipid GPCRs by lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine 1-phosphate.
Liu S, Paknejad N, Zhu L, Kihara Y, Ray M, Chun J, Liu W, Hite RK, Huang XY
Nat Commun 2022 Feb 8 ;13(1):731
Ponesimod inhibits astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation and protects against cingulum demyelination via S1P(1) -selective modulation.
Kihara Y, Jonnalagadda D, Zhu Y, Ray M, Ngo T, Palmer C, Rivera R, Chun J
FASEB J 2022 Feb ;36(2):e22132