Research Director

Toshimasa Yamauchi

University of Tokyo
Lecturer

Outline

(1) Our research laboratory focuses efforts on the epigenetic analysis of tissues from humans and animals with type 2 diabetes and obesity that result from and become aggravated through interactions between genetic and environmental factors in conjunction with analyses of candidate causal single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) as a step toward identifying determinants of these diseases and epigenetic changes that result in transcriptional abnormalities in key genes responsible for the diseases;
(2) Our research laboratory also places emphasis on the epigenetic analysis of brown/white adipocytes in their differentiation and re-programming in an attempt to elucidate epigenetic modifications in the determination of their destiny and transformation as well as to identify new principles involved in these mechanisms; and
(3) Our research laboratory also focuses efforts on developing a novel technology that would allow a more convenient, longer-sequencing than is possible with current chromatin interaction analysis (ChIA) which is intended to provide a whole-genome analysis of interactions between regions of protein-DNA interaction that are often far removed in terms of three-dimensional changes in higher-order chromatin structures.
Relevant findings on the epigenetic abnormalities and/or novel mechanisms of onset of disease involved will be brought to bear on the development of a platform technology for the strategic prevention, diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.