Hiroshi Nishimune, PhD

Hiroshi Nishimune, PhD

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Research Professor

573-‭771-4247‬

Profile

Hiroshi Nishimune, PhD, is a School of Medicine researcher with a broad background in cellular and molecular neuroscience and specific expertise in the development and aging process of the neuromuscular system and its diseases. He has PI and co-PI experience on NIH-funded grants studying the formation and degeneration of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) during development, aging and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Dr. Nishimune was the first to successfully use light microscopy to visualize the molecular mechanism that organizes the essential structure for synaptic transmission, called the active zone, in the NMJ. Previously, this active zone was only studied using electron microscopy. The NMJ’s active zone is a subsynaptic structure of 100 nm or less, and Dr. Nishimune has expertise in the use of super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy for subdiffraction limited resolutions of 30 nm.

Academic Information

Research Professor

Office

1030 Hitt Street
NextGen Precision Health Building
Columbia, MO 65212
United States

P. 573-‭771-4247‬

Research Interests

  • Investigations of degeneration mechanism and development of interventions for aging of the neuromuscular system
  • Investigations of degeneration mechanism and development of interventions for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Molecular and structural analysis of synapses

Areas of Expertise

  • Nervous system and neuromuscular junction research
  • Development, aging, and disease of the neuromuscular junction
  • Anatomical and molecular study of the synapse
  • Super-resolution STED microscopy

Education & Training

Degrees

1993 MS, Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University
1991 BS, Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University
1997 PhD, Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University

Fellowship

2004 - 2006 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
2000 - 2004 Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO, USA
1998 - 2000 INSERM Unit 382, Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille (IBDM), Marseille, Cedex 09, France

Awards & Honors

  • Japan Scholarship Foundation Scholarship (Now Japan Student Service Organization), 1991-1995
  • Kato memorial bioscience research promotion foundation, international travel award, 1995
  • Japan Science and Technology Corporation National Institute Fellow, Japan, 1995-1998
  • Japan Science and Technology Corporation Overseas Research Fellow, France, 1998-2000
  • Novartis Foundation, Japan-Europe Science Exchange Program Fellow, France, 2000
  • University of Kansas Medical Center Faculty Travel Award, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017
  • Excellent poster awards at Kansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Annual Symposium, 2011, 2017
  • University of Kansas Medical Center, NextGen Sequencing Pilot Awards, 2014

Patents

  • U.S. Patent US20200399610A1, Materials And Methods For Generating Therapeutic Mesenchymal Stem Cells, inventors: Drs. Hiroshi Nishimune, Richard Barohn, Buddhadeb Dawn, Yomna Badawi, Jim Mitchell, Rupal Soder, approved March 29, 2022.
  • Japan Patent application number 2022-159763, Compositions and agents for improving physical agility, inventors: Drs. Hiroshi Nishimune, Masashi Morifuji, Kentarou Nakamura, filled on October, 2022
     

Publications

  • Eckardt, A., Marble, C., Fern, B., Moritz, H., Kotula, C., Ke, J., Rebancos, C., Robertson, S., Nishimune, H. & Suzuki, M. 
    Muscle-specific Bet1L knockdown induces neuromuscular denervation, motor neuron degeneration, and motor dysfunction in a rat model of familial ALS. 
    Front Neurosci, 2025, 19, 1527181. (PMID 39896335)
  • Takeno T, Watanabe N, Morifuji M, Hotta H, Nishimune H. 
    Identification of adrenergic pre- and postsynaptic protein locations at neuromuscular junctions, their decrease during aging, and recovery by nicotinamide mononucleotide administration. 
    (2024) NeuroReport (PMID: 38935067).
  • Sakamoto, I., Shibuya, S., Nojiri, H., Takeno, K., Nishimune, H., Yaku, K., Nakagawa, T., Ishijima, M. & Shimizu, T. 
    Mitochondrial Redox Status Regulates Glycogen Metabolism via Glycogen Phosphorylase Activity. 
    Antioxidants (Basel), 2024, 13(11), 1421. (PMID 39594562)
  • Jawdat, O., Rucker, J., Nakano, T., Takeno, K., Statland, J., Pasnoor, M., Dimachkie, M.M., Sabus, C., Badawi, Y., Hunt, S.L., Tomioka, N.H., Gunewardena, S., Bloomer, C., Wilkins, H.M., Herbelin, L., Barohn, R.J. & Nishimune, H. 
    Resistance exercise in early-stage ALS patients, ALSFRS-R, Sickness Impact Profile ALS-19, and muscle transcriptome: a pilot study. 
    Scientific reports, 2024, 14(1), 21729. (PMID 39289471)
  • Inoue R, Nishimune H. 
    Neuronal Plasticity and Age-Related Functional Decline in the Motor Cortex 
    (2023) Cells. 12(17), 2142. (PMID: 37681874).
  • Inoue R, Miura M, Yanai S, Nishimune H. 
    (2023) Coenzyme Q(10) supplementation improves the motor function of middle-aged mice by restoring the neuronal activity of the motor cortex. 
    Scientific Reports, 13(1):4323. (PMID: 36922562).
  • Takikawa K, Nishimune H. 
    (2022) Similarity and Diverity of Presynaptic Molecules at Neuromuscular Junctions and Central Synapses. 
    Biomolecules, 12(2), 179. (PMID: 35204679).
  • Nishimune H, Stanford KG, Chen J, Odum JD, Rorie AD, Rogers RS, Wheatley JL, Geiger PC, Stanford JA. 
    (2022). Forelimb Resistance Exercise Protects Against Neuromucular Junction Denervation in the SOD1-G93A Rat Model of ALS. 
    Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. 12, 145-155. (PMID: 36444378).