Our concept

１．Prevention of dementia based on a novel concept

The number of dementia patients is increasing along with the aging of the population. It is particularly difficult to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common dementia disorder, after its onset. It is because at the disease onset amyloid-β plaques are deposited, abnormal aggregates of tau proteins called neurofibrillary tangles are accumulated widely in neurons, and connections between neurons are profoundly impaired in the brain. Such condition is difficult to be reversed. At the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) preceding AD, amyloid-β is already accumulated moderately, but the abnormalities of tau proteins are less severe. Therefore, it is possible to manage the disease at this prodromal stage called MCI due to AD.

By what mechanism are amyloid-β accumulation and tau abnormalities connected? Recent studies have revealed that this connection is mediated by low molecular weight assemblies of amyloid-β, which are called Aβ oligomers. Thus, new treatments are being developed which target Aβ oligomers. However, such treatments are only designed to remove the oligomers by specific antibodies or inhibit the formation of the oligomers. We consider that it is possible to prevent the pathological progression by reducing the neurotoxicity itself exerted by the oligomers.

２．The company name
The name Yupiark is derived from the combination of Japanese characters ‘Yu’ and ‘Pi’. ‘Yu’ means reason as well as gentleness; ‘Pi’ comes from ‘pioneer’. Thus, the name expresses the concept of the company to contribute to society through the development of innovative, reasonable, and human-friendly products.

  

Research achievements of the CEO are found here: