Profile of Divisions

As the social environment and population structure change dramatically, we are developing infrastructure technology and its social implementation to establish strategies for individual life design towards the ideal way for people to contribute to society. We also aim to elucidate the fundamental principles in the formation of life and disease, especially of human transformation with aging.

1. Abnormal findings in an adrenomedullin knockout mouse
2. Left: Normal mouse. Right: Obese model mouse (ob/ob mouse).
3. Kale and its exosome-like nanovesicles
4. Exploring the Science of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Microbiome
5. The quality of dietary fat plays a crucial role in the development of liver diseases such as steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Excessive intake of dietary cholesterol leads to hepatomegaly and hepatic steatosis, while diets high in trans fats and saturated fatty acids accelerate liver fibrosis and increase the risk of liver cancer in mouse models. By integrating research in digestive diseases, metabolism, nutrition, and medical-agricultural collaboration, we aim to develop novel strategies and functional foods to prevent these conditions, thereby contributing to the extension of healthy life expectancy.

We focus on the pathologic characterization, prevention, and treatment of intractable neurodegenerative diseases that are the cause of dementia and neuropsychiatric disorders and lifestyle-related diseases through approaches involving amyloidosis, neurosynapses, and sports medicine research.

1. Gene introduction to pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 of the mouse neocortex.
   Red represents the expression of Red fluorescent protein from Discosoma sp., green represents the expression of CASK, a causative gene of a type of neurodevelopemental disorder, and yellow represents neurons expressing both. The nuclei of all the neocortical cells were shown in blue. (Image from Mori et al. Molecular Psychiatry 2019）
2. Interval walking training
3. Neuronal and vascular amyloid deposition of a familial amyloid polyneuropathy patient

We collaborate over a wide range of research areas, including regenerative medicine, biomedical engineering, and molecular medicine engineering, to discover innovative technologies using biotechnological methods.

1. Artificial synapse formation assay: Synaptic organizer-expressing non-neuronal cells (red) induce the accumulation of the presynaptic marker VAMP2 (green) on their surface, indicating the formation of presynapse-like structures.
2. Monkey undifferentiated iPS cells
3. Anti-metastatic cells (yellow and red) that target cancer precursor (green) in the lung
4. Development of antibiotic-producing bacteria