Division of Innovative Research and Development Advanced Research & Development Programs for Medical Innovation（AMED-CREST, PRIME）

[Research and Development Objective] Elucidation of stress responses and pathogenic mechanisms

Under “Stress” R&D area, the goal is to scientifically elucidate the biological responses at various different levels, from molecular/cellular levels to individual levels, caused by physical, chemical, biological, or emotional/psychological stress, and to develop an integrated understanding of stress responses and the mechanisms involved from the molecular/cellular level to the individual level.
We are surrounded by various different stressors, and new stressors have also emerged because of the changes in our lifestyles and social environments during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Prevention of diseases triggered by such stressors is important to improve our QOL. However, it is difficult to get an objective and accurate understanding of the biological responses to various stressors, and we still do not have a clear view of what type of exposure to stress can cause homeostatic breakdown in the individual that leads to pathogenesis in which many unknown mechanisms are involved. We therefore need to identify at the early stages the biological danger signals that occur in response to stress exposure and prevent disease before it occurs.
Specific goals of this R&D area include (1) research and development of new techniques or methods, new measuring devices, or signal processing technologies that allow accurate, detailed, and long-term capture of human biological information that fluctuates subtly with exposure to stress; (2) identification of markers that allow objective evaluation of stress status in humans or prediction of disease onset due to stress, and elucidation of their pathophysiological significance; and (3) elucidation of stress adaptation or avoidance systems in humans with a focus on applications in disease prevention, and elucidation of the mechanisms involved between the breakdown of these systems and disease onset.

2023

Program Supervisor (PS)

ISO Hiroyasu

Director, Japan Institute for Health Security, Institute for Global Health Policy Research

Program Officer (PO)

ICHIJO Hidenori

Distinguished University Professor, Advanced Research Initiative, Institute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo

SEKITANI Tsuyoshi

Professor, TSANKEN, The University of Osaka

R&D Area Advisors

AOKI Ichio

Senior Principal Investigator, iQMS, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology

ASAHARA Hiroshi

Professor, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo

UMEDA Satoshi

Professor, Department of Psychology, Keio University

OGAWA Koichi

Group Leader, Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd.

SUZUKI Tadashi

Chief Scientist, RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute

SUDO Nobuyuki

Professor, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University

NAKAYAMA Keiko

Executive Director, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology

NATSUME Tohru

Prime Senior Researcher, Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

HAMAZAKI Yoko

Head/Professor, Department of Life Science Frontiers,Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University

MORI Yasuo

Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University

YOSHIUCHI Kazuhiro

Professor, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, The University Tokyo Hospital

• Stress