Skeletal muscle is one of the largest organs in the body and is well known to be necessary for not only mobility but also its metabolic role such as sugar storage. Furthermore, recent studies have rendered evidences that maintaining healthy muscle can improve chronic diseases such as cancer. However, it is not clear why healthy muscle brings the outcomes.
Recently, innovative tissue-engineered technology is expanding and enables to make myocytes 3D-construct. The tissue-engineered muscle is a highly matured culture construct and can be used as not only in vitro exercise model but also drug screening assay system. Our lab has developed a removable tissue-engineered muscle with artificial tendons and focuses on the following research topics:

Main Research Topics

• Elucidation of new physiological functions of skeletal muscle using three-dimensional cultured muscle
• Development and evaluation of a disuse muscle atrophy model using three-dimensional cultured muscle

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Scientific technology has advanced to an extremely high level in contemporary society. It is no exaggeration to say that we live in a time where we must intentionally exercise and perform physical activity in order to remain healthy and alive. Would you like to learn about the benefits and burdens of scientific technology, while conducting research into human bodies and health, and the effects of exercise and the ingestion of food, so that Japanese people can achieve a healthier future? At this laboratory, we promote research into the effects that exercise and lifestyle habits have on health and the secrets to good health, with a focus on the hardening of arteries.

Main Research Topics

• Research on how exercise and physical activity can improve arterial stiffness and endothelial function
• Research on how food and supplements can improve arterial stiffness and endothelial function
• Research on the effect of hypoxic training

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We are interested in the improvement of performance and health through sports, and we are particularly interested in the morphological changes of skeletal muscles caused by sports.
We are also focusing on skeletal muscle in old age. Healthy and vigorous skeletal muscles are necessary for a healthy life in old age. From the perspective of how to maintain healthy skeletal muscles, we are working on elucidating the mechanisms of skeletal muscle atrophy and hypertrophy. In recent years, we have been paying particular attention to the role of water molecules in skeletal muscle health. Since water molecules in skeletal muscle may be involved in the control of skeletal muscle morphological changes, we are seeking ways to maintain skeletal muscle integrity by controlling the dynamics of water molecules.

Main Research Topics

• Elucidation of the relationship between water molecule transport function in skeletal muscle and muscle function
• Elucidation of the mechanism of morphological control of skeletal muscle

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Main Research Topics

• Political and Diplomatic History of Japan / History / Modern History of Japan
• Political Party / Election