Professor SAKURAI Aiko of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies has a unique background, pursuing a career in international cooperation before expanding her research to include disaster education. While keeping a focus on teachers and the classroom, she has been exploring the development of disaster education where schools can protect children’s lives, and has been involved in implementing and supporting efforts in the field. We asked her about how disaster education has changed after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, and how she hopes to spread the initiatives to the world.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting in severe paralysis is known to deteriorate the quality of life of humans. However, the treatment strategies for recovery of motor function after SCI are limited. Now, researchers from Japan have identified a small compound, edonerpic maleate, which accelerates recovery from forelimb paralysis in non-human primates with SCI, showcasing potential for improving rehabilitation. This breakthrough research may pave the way for the development of new therapies for recovery after SCI.

Tracking targeted drug delivery is often a challenge due to limitations in the current imaging techniques. A recent study by Tokyo’s Waseda University reports a breakthrough imaging technique that allows direct and highly sensitive tracking of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) inside the body. This novel technique, which uses neutron activation of gold, could revolutionize cancer drug delivery by enabling real-time visualization of the gold nanoparticles without external tracers.

Challenging the long-standing belief that fibroblasts produce skin collagen, researchers at Okayama University have investigated collagen formation in the ‘glass-skinned’ amphibian axolotl and other vertebrates. They discovered that keratinocytes, the surface cells of the skin, are responsible for producing collagen, which is then transferred deeper to form the dermis. Later, fibroblasts migrate into this collagen layer, modifying and reinforcing its structure.

Thymic carcinoma, a rare cancer, is often associated with poor prognosis in advanced or recurrent stages. However, its rarity has delayed the development of novel pharmacotherapy. Now, researchers from Japan have evaluated the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with advanced or recurrent thymic carcinoma. The findings revealed that this combination exhibited a manageable safety profile and may redefine treatment strategies, offering new hope for patients with recurrent thymic cancer.

Metastatic melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. In an effort to achieve targeted therapy for metastatic melanoma, researchers from Japan recently developed a new radioactive drug that emits alpha particles. With their short range of emission and high energy, alpha particles are particularly promising for targeted therapies that require high energy release in the cancer tissue while minimizing the damage to nearby healthy tissues. 

Nagoya University, Columbia University and Harvard University have made an important discovery about the relationship between hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and immune response evasion. Their findings show how certain HSCs have regulatory functions that help control the immune response, preventing excessive or harmful immune activity. This insight could be the key to developing new treatments for immune-related conditions and improving tissue regeneration techniques.

Kanazawa University’s Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) is now accepting proposals from industry partners for collaborative research utilizing the world’s most advanced bio-scanning probe microscope (Bio-SPM) technology. This initiative aims to foster groundbreaking industrial applications by leveraging WPI-NanoLSI’s pioneering expertise in nano-life sciences.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team analyzed the historical evolution of the bureaucracy from an economic perspective and came up with surprising results about nation-building and democratization.