A research team from Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine has made a major discovery on how the CUL5 gene affects CAR-T cell therapy, an advanced cancer therapy. The study, published in Nature Communications, reveals that reducing the activity of the CUL5 gene helps CAR-T cells fight cancer more effectively. These findings could improve immunotherapy for patients with aggressive cancers such as leukemia. 

Understanding how cells transform into specialized types during human development is a central challenge in biology. This complex process, known as cell differentiation, holds the key to understanding developmental biology and advancing regenerative medicine. A team of researchers in Japan has developed a new computational tool, scEGOT, which provides new insights into this process by addressing the limitations of previous methods and enabling the analysis of single cell dynamics across different cell types.

Air pollution is a growing health issue worldwide, and its impacts are often underestimated in aging societies like Japan. A new study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo highlights how fine particulate pollution, or PM2.5, not only worsens health outcomes, but also creates significant socioeconomic challenges in regions with aging populations and limited medical resources. The researchers hope these findings motivate policymakers to tackle the interrelated issues behind this problem.

Electroencephalography (EEG) may offer a more accessible alternative to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for guiding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) when treating aphasia. Researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo found an 80% agreement between EEG and fMRI in identifying brain regions activated during language tasks. Furthermore, EEG-guided tDCS improved picture-naming speed in participants, indicating its potential for innovative therapies in language disorders.

Epoxy resins are coatings and adhesives used in a broad range of familiar applications, such as construction, engineering and manufacturing. However, they often present a challenge to recycle or dispose of responsibly. For the first time, a team of researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, developed a method to efficiently reclaim materials from a range of epoxy products for reuse by using a novel solid catalyst.

The early lineages of hexapods (broadly defined insects) have long been debated. Researchers at University of Tsukuba and collaborators critically examined the newly proposed "Protura-sister" phylogenetic hypothesis. This analysis revealed a fundamental flaw in the hypothesis, reinforcing the validity of the previously established "Ellipura" hypothesis.

Researchers created platinum-mixed metallic magnetic nanofilms that are 5x more efficient – the ultimate energy-saving solution.