RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences

Lsp2 links early-life diet to adult translation and lifespan in Drosophila

Abstract Nearly a century ago, restricting diet during early-life periods was suggested to extend lifespan in rats and in Daphnia 1,2 . The effect of juvenile diet on adult physiology and lifespan has subsequently been described in other model organisms, including fruit flies 3–5...

Triangulating Evidence on Serum Uric Acid and Cancer Risk: Consistent Inverse Associations With Lung Cancer

ABSTRACT We examined the association between serum uric acid (UA) levels and cancer incidence through a conventional observational and two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study in the same population (triangulation). We followed 13,695 individuals aged 35–69 years for cancer...

Validation and refinement of a biomarker panel for frailty assessment and prediction of muscle weakness in older adults

Abstract Frailty is a complex geriatric syndrome characterized by age-related declines in physiological function and cognitive reserve. To promote early prevention and intervention, minimally invasive and objective biomarkers that can detect frailty progression are required. We a...

Age and sex estimation from Japanese femoral computed tomographic images using foundation models

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the feasibility and performance of a deep learning-based multitask framework for estimating sex and age using femoral CT images in a Japanese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postmortem CT (PMCT) data from 1,489 Japanese individuals (1,003 males,...

Multiancestry genome-wide association and multiomics analyses elucidate spatiocellular features of multiple sclerosis genetics

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by demyelination disseminated in space and time. Here we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 688 MS cases and 205,199 controls from the Japanese population and...

Positive selection of IgG over IgM plasma cells through BCR isotype–specific antigen presentation and signaling

During a primary immune response, B cells can undergo isotype switching from an immunoglobulin M (IgM) B cell receptor (BCR) to an IgG BCR. B cells that have switched to IgG give rise to more bone marrow long-lived plasma cells (PCs) compared with those expressing IgM, but how BC...

Histological Determinants of Atrial Dysfunction in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with diverse histological abnormalities, but their contributions to atrial dysfunction and functional recovery remain unclear. Methods In a discovery cohort of 375 patients with nonvalvular AF undergoing catheter ablation, atrial...

Leveraging the salivary microbiome profile to stratify REM sleep behavior disorder and synucleinopathies

Abstract Few studies have explored noninvasive biomarkers of synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), and rapid-eye-movement behavior disorder (RBD), a prodromal stage for these conditions. Human oral/salivary microbiomes are altered in PD, highlighting their potent...

Generalizing molecular design via flexible search space control

Abstract Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence have made in silico molecular design a powerful approach for exploring chemical space toward specific goals. However, despite the need for trial-and-error adjustment of generative strategies and reward formulations, m...

Immunomodulatory metabolites in rheumatic diseases

Low-molecular-weight metabolites are attracting attention as a group of molecules that play important roles in immune cell function. Recent studies have revealed that metabolites actively regulate immune cell differentiation and function rather than simply reflecting metabolic st...