Research Highlights

A BDR research team led by Ichio Shimada and Shunsuke Imai have uncovered a way to enhance the pain-relieving effects of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) without the harmful side effects of traditional opioids. They found that allosteric modulators enhance MOR activity by shifting the dynamic structural equilibrium toward a more active form without directly altering its structure. This dynamic modulation allows the body’s natural opioids to bind more effectively, potentially leading to pain relief with fewer side effects. Their findings not only offer hope for safer opioid alternatives but also provide a framework for developing new drugs targeting other signaling proteins in the body. More

Researchers from BDR, led by Sayaka Sekine and Mitsusuke Tarama, developed a model explaining the cytoskeleton patterning that stabilizes tubular structures in the body. Focusing on the formation of actin nanoclusters in the fruit fly’s trachea, they discovered that uneven stress distribution drives the reorganization of these nanoclusters into stable, regularly spaced cables. This process, driven by a protein called DAAM, is crucial for the smooth development of tubular lumens. The team’s model paves the way for understanding similar mechanisms in the formation of more complex human tissues, such as the primitive heart tube. More

A team of researchers led by BDR’s Kenji Watanabe have created a novel method to potentially improve cancer treatment using gold nanoclusters as a carrier system. Their gold-nanocluster system carries two components: an indolizine-masked anticancer drug and a photosensitizer. The anticancer drug is released when exposed to red light, minimizing harm to nearby healthy cells. The team overcame challenges in achieving precise ratios of the indolizine and photosensitive components by combining them into a single chemical entity and developing a method to attach it to gold nanoclusters under mild conditions. Future developments will include adding targeting mechanisms for more selective cancer treatment. More