- Shizuo Akira
, M.D., Ph.D., (born
January 27 ,1953 -) is a distinguished and highly cited professor at the Department of Host Defense,Osaka University , Japan [ [http://esi-topics.com/fbp/comments/august02-ShizuoAkira.html Fast Breaking Comment by Shizuo Akira, M.D., Ph.D ] ] . He has done ground-breaking discoveries in the field of immunology, especially in the area of innate host defense mechanisms.Beside being the worlds most-cited scientist, [ [http://www.nature.com/news/archive/keyword/shizuo+akira.html?num=20 Archive - keyword 'Shizuo Akira' : Nature News ] ] , he has also been recognised, in the years 2006 and 2007, as the scientist who had published the greatest number of ‘Hot Papers’ (11 papers) over the preceding two years. He is the recipient of several international awards, including the Robert Koch Prize and the William B. Coley Award [http://www.isicr.org/pdf/2007ISICRawardees.pdf I receieved my Ph ] ] .
Among his greatest discoveries are the
toll-like receptor s (TLR)s,, and later theRNA helicase s, RIG-I (retinoic-acid-inducible protein I) and MDA5 (melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5) [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15208624?ordinalpos=21&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum The RNA helicase RIG-I has an essential function i... [Nat Immunol. 2004 - PubMed Result ] ] . All molecules belong to the pattern recognition receptors, which detects intruding pathogens and initiates antimicrobial responses in the host [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17464205?ordinalpos=38&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Pattern-recognition receptor signaling initiated f... [Mol Cells. 2007 - PubMed Result ] ] .References
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