The research for the differentiation of olfactory neurons and the genes regulating the expression of olfactory receptors

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We were not able to implement our research just the same as we had planned in the project title the biggining of the research. We have developed our original research plan to two different directions.In the former research, we have investigated the development of mouse inner ear sensory epithelium, and we sometimes have compared our results to the case of olfactory neurons. Musashi1 (Msi1) is an RNA-binding protein expressed in neural stem/progenitor cells, astroglial progenitor cells and astrocytes in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). We investigated Msi1 expression in the young adult mice inner ear by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibody against Msi1. Msi1 immunostaining was found in a variety of supporting cells but not in the hair cells in the sensory epithlium. We suppose that this wide expression of Msi1 in the supporting cells of young adult mice indicates that those supporting cells might have the potential to become hair cell progenitors when hair cells are injured, but some other mechanisms would strictly inhibit this ability.We also have been doing a clinical research related to our original project theme. We have carried out posterior-superior nasal neurectomy under endonasal endoscopic observation for the patients with severe allergic rhinitis. This surgical method is relatively novel one reported at first in 1998 (Kikawada et al.,). We have been tring to evaluate the effectiveness of it. We also begin to investigate the possibility of the regeneration of posterior-superior nerve after the operation and its effect to the clinical symptoms, using immunohistochemical method.