Retinoids Have a Learning Function Enhancing Activity

When I began studying biochemistry at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Tokyo, Japan, molecular cloning of retinoic acid receptors (RARs), the nuclear receptors for retinoids, was one of the hottest topics in medical science. In the laboratory of Professor Koichi Shudo, who was my mentor and now my current manager, the development of novel synthetic retinoids had been pushed to the fore, and the identification and purification of RAR proteins was being carried out. I was able to participate in the project as a member of his laboratory. Although nearly 20 years have passed, studies on retinoids still bring new surprises and the importance of retinoids in mammalian life has still not been fully characterised. It remains a fascinating subject for me.