Toward the realization of a “Smart aging” society.

The average life expectancy in Japan has increased by more than 30 years since the end of World War II, and we are now able to live almost twice as long as we did 100 years ago. On the other hand, in a super-aging society where 30% of individuals are 65 years and above, various medical and social problems associated with aging start to become apparent. Thus, we have set the realization of a smart aging society as a goal to deal with these obstacles, in which "smart aging" means the intellectual maturity of individuals and society by wisely coping with the changes from aging.

In order to elucidate the basic mechanisms of aging from birth to development, maturation, aging and death, the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC) conducts research from gene and cell research using molecular biological techniques as well as organismal-level research through animal experiments and multi-layered medical human subject research. Through these studies, we aim to overcome intractable cancers and prevent dementia. In addition to the three areas of research (Aging Science, Cancer Science and Brain Science), IDAC also incorporates the Center for Environmental Response and Aging, Pre-Clinical Research Center, Brain MRI Center, Small Animal MRI Center for Research Use with Technical Advantage and the Cell Resource Center for Biological Research. Moreover, we are also working closely with the Smart Aging Research Center (S.A.R.C.), which aims to realize a dementia-free society and the Cognitive Neuroscience Application Center, which aims to translate cognitive neuroscience into society. Lastly, IDAC has been certified as a research center for aging medicine by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), to realize healthy longevity in a super-aging society.

Responding to a rapidly aging society is recognized as a common issue for all countries, especially developed nations. Our ultimate goal is the realization of a smart aging-society and we aim to become a world-leading research center for managing a super-aging society.

-Kozo TANAKA, Director of IDAC

IDAC's Alumni of the Month: Professor Taizo Kumagai, founder of IDAC

July 19, 1880 - February 19, 1962

 

Scientist and Doctor of Internal Medicine

 

President, Tohoku University

 

Director and Founder, the Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Leprosy

 

Advisor, Chiba Institute of Technology

 

Awarded 2nd place for the Order of the Rising Sun

 

Professor Kumagai was born and raised in Shiojiri, Nagano. After earning his doctorate in Internal Medicine from the Tohoku Imperial University School of Medicine, he attended the University of Berlin, Germany, from 1911-1913 to study immunology, experimental therapeutics, and medical chemistry. After returning to Japan, he began his research on insulin usage to combat diabetes and tuberculosis, especially with BCG. Shortly thereafter, he founded the Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Cancer, which is known today as IDAC.

   

The Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Cancer (formerly the Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Leprosy), was founded in 1941 by the late professor Taizo KUMAGAI as its director. At the time the Institute was established, it was the second Research Institute of Tohoku University with the purpose of overcoming leprosy and tuberculosis, with departments in three different disciplines: Internal Medicine, Leprosy and Pathological Anatomy.

 

In 1944, three more departments were added, namely Bacteriology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology. A few years shortly thereafter, the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics were added in 1950 and 1953. Since then, the area of research has been widened to cover both fundamental and clinical oncology. The practical knowledge and expertise acquired during almost two decades of tuberculosis research was then applied to the study of cancer. As a result, the Department of Lung Cancer was established in 1958 and the Department of Cancer Chemotherapy in 1962.

 

After several years of in-depth research, an informal committee of professors from the Institute declared a new ambitious program on cancer research in August 1966. Since then, a number of cancer research projects have been subsidized by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, together with other Ministries of the Japanese Government. Subsequently, the Department of Radiology was established in 1967 and the Department of Clinical Cancer Chemotherapy in 1969.

 

Due to a growth in research facilities and staff, the Institute took another great leap forward in July 1977, when it moved from the Hirose-machi area to its present site located in Seiryo-machi. During the transition, the Department of Leprosy was replaced by the Department of Immunology, and the Department of Microbiology (formerly the Department of Bacteriology), was reorganized as the Department of Cell Biology. Two years later, the Department of Medical Engineering and Cardiology was established in 1979.

 

The Institute’s long history was marked by another milestone when the Tumor Cell Repository attached to the Institute was inaugurated in 1984 in order to meet the demand of researchers throughout Japan and the world. By this time, the Institute comprised of thirteen Departments, a Cancer Cell Repository, an Animal Laboratory for Tumor Research, and a Radioisotope Laboratory. Almost a decade later in 1993, the establishment was renamed as the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC) to reflect its commitment to Smart-Aging research. At this point in IDAC’s modest history, the Institute consisted of five Divisions: Gene Research, Developmental Biology and Medicine, Organ Pathophysiology, Cancer Control and Brain Sciences, including sixteen departments with full research facilities.

 

In 1997, the Cancer Cell Repository was converted to a Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, and the Genome Research Center was founded in 2004. Five years later, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Science officially recognized IDAC as a Research Center for Aging and Cancer in 2009. In December 2018, the Department of Cognitive Health Science was established; and in addition, the Department of Metabolic Bioregulation in January 2019. The Institute is often abbreviated and called “Kareiken” in Japanese.

     

Successive directors and hospital directors

   

IDAC's world renowned research facilities are spread across three buildings and divided into seven divisions. Within these division are a total of twenty-two laboratories collaborating with one another to achieve "smart-aging". In addition, IDAC has three special facilities within the institute: the Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, the Smart Aging Research Center (S.A.R.C.) and the Pre-Clinical Research Center.

Division of Aging Science

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Dept. Gene Expression Regulation	Hozumi MOTOHASHI
Dept. Experimental Immunology	Toshiyuki TAKAI
Dept. Immunobiology	Koetsu OGASAWARA
Dept. Modomics Biology and Medicine	Fan-Yan WEI
Dept. Integrative Bioanalytics
Dept. In Silico	Kengo KINOSHITA

Division of Cancer Science

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Dept. Molecular Oncology	Kozo TANAKA
Dept. Cancer Biology	Natsuko CHIBA
Dept. Thoracic Surgery	Yoshinori OKADA

Division of Brain Science

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Dept. Functional Brain Imaging	Ryuta KAWASHIMA
Dept. Human Brain Science	Motoaki SUGIURA
Dept. of Aging Research and Geriatric Medicine	Yasuyuki TAKI
Dept. Integrative Physiology
Dept. Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience

Cell Resource Center for Biological Research

The purpose of the Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research is the collection, establishment, quality control, distribution of useful cell lines, and the construction of an extensive database for researchers worldwide.

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research	Koetsu OGASAWARA

Pre-Clinical Research Center

The Pre-Clinical Research Center's main purpose is to determine the safety and effectiveness of devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens that may be used for the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of diseases before any clinical trials begin.

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Dept. Medical Engineering and Cardiology	Yoshinori OKADA
Dept. Biomedical Measurements	Yoshifumi SAIJO
Dept. Respiratory Engineering	Yoshinori OKADA

Center for Environmental Response and Aging

The Center for Environmental Response Research aims to clarify functional interactions between the aging process and stress response to environmental factors, such as environmental chemicals, pathogens and mechanical stimuli. The center's ultimate goal is to delay the aging process and alleviate age-related diseases by regulating defense mechanisms and increasing cytoprotection capacities.

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Laboratory of Oxidative Stress Response	Hozumi MOTOHASHI
Laboratory of Nucleic Acid Modification and Damage Response	Kozo TANAKA, Fan-Yan WEI, Natsuko CHIBA
Laboratory of Immunological Response	Koetsu OGASAWARA
Laboratory of Mechano-Stress and Metabolic Response
Laboratory of Mental Stress Response
Laboratory of Integrated Bioinformatics

Brain MRI Center

The Brain MRI Center was established for "joint use" of the high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment, which is available for research on human brain function and structure. Researchers from universities, research institutes and companies who are interested in using MRI equipment can participate in brain measurement experiments.

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Brain MRI Center	Motoaki SUGIURA

Small Animal MRI Center for Research Use with Technical Advantage

DEPARTMENT	PROFESSOR
Small Animal MRI Center for Research Use with Technical Advantage	Kozo TANAKA

IDAC features several common facilities located on the 1st floor of the Basic Aging Building to assist and provide its members the opportunity to advance their research. In addition, dedicated staff provide support to not only IDAC members, but visitors coming to the institute as well.

Common Facilities

DEPARTMENT	SUPERVISOR
Laboratory Animal Resources	Koetsu OGASAWARA
Center of Research Instruments	Fan-Yan WEI
Public Relations and Information Office	Kozo TANAKA, Motoaki SUGIURA
Administration Office

IDAC Fellow

FELLOW	NAME
IDAC Fellow	Akira YASUI

IDAC is one of the most distinguished research institutes in the world for brain imaging with its advanced imaging facilities and large scale brain image databases that brings IDAC to the forefront of brain research.

---

     

The Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research was established to collect, control, and distribute various human and animal cancer cells, while providing an extensive database for researchers worldwide. Cell lines include transplantable animal cell lines, such as the Yoshida sarcoma and rat ascites hepatoma (AH series), as well as human cell lines such as the murine and hybridoma cells.

The Center of Research Instruments was established in April 2003 to manage IDAC's laboratory equipment for medical and biological research. The following is a list of available instruments for all IDAC members to utilize.

---

Equipment	Function	Manufacturer
LAS4000mini	Quantitative Imaging of Gels & Blots by Chemiluminescence	GE Healthcare
FLA-7000	Laser Scanner. Fluorescence, IP, and Digitization	GE Healthcare
ABI PRISM 310	Genetic Analyzer	Applied Biosystems
ABI 3130	Genetic Analyzer,4-capillary	Applied Biosystems
ABI 3130ｘｌ	Genetic Analyzer,16-capillary	Applied Biosystems
LSM5 PASCAL	Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope	Carl Zeiss
BIACORE2000	Bio-Molecular Interaction Analysis	GE Healthcare
DU 640	UV/VIS Spectrophotometer	BECKMAN
SpectraMax M2e	Microplate Reader	Molecular Devices
Lmax II 384	Luminometer	Molecular Devices
OPT Scanner 3001	Optical Projection Tomography	Medical Research Council Technology
BR-3000L	Bioshaker	TAITEC
Cytomics FC500	Flow Cytometry Systems, 5-color Analysis	BECKMAN COULTER
EPICS ALTRA	Flow Cytometry Systems, Hyper Sort Cell Sorting System	BECKMAN COULTER
MC10000	Wide Format Printer	EPSON
iPF8300	Large-Format Inkjet Printer	CANON
CFX96	Real-Time PCR	BIO-RAD
AVIZO	High Performance 3D Visualization Software	VSG
CS150GX	Micro Ultra Centrifuge	Hitachi Koki
CM1900	Disinfecting Cryostats for Sectioning	LEICA
BZ-9000	Fluorescence Microscopy	KEYENCE
HA-320RS	Laminator(Pouch)	MEIKO SHOKAI
CP65 β	Ultracentrifuge	Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
4D-Nucleofector	Transfection	Lonza
IVIS Lumina II	Quantitative Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Imaging in Vivo	SPI (Caliper Life Sciences)
FV1000MPE	Multiphoton Laser Scanning Microscope	OLYMPUS

 

 

 

INTELLIGENCE. INGENUITY. INNOVATION.

IDAC is always on the look-out for talented individuals who excel in their area of ​​study and are able to find practical applications for their research. If you would like to join us for your future endeavors, please choose your area of interest to find out more about what we do and what we have to offer.

   

Mechanisms of Aging	Overcoming Intractable Cancers
Overcoming Age-Related Brain Diseases	Achieving "Smart Aging"

                   

Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University 4-1 Seiryocho, Aobaku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

 

Institute Map

   

Seiryo Campus Map

   

Access from Sendai Station

 

Subway

Proceed to the subway entrance at the lower ground level of Sendai Station. Get on the train bound for Izumi-Chuo Station. In around 4 minutes, you will arrive Kita-Yobancho Subway Station. IDAC is around 15 minutes on foot after exiting the Kita-Yobancho Subway Station. Subway trains usually operate in 3 to 13 minute intervals.

 

Bus

Proceed to the bus terminal right outside of Sendai Station and head toward bus stop #25. Board the Sendai city bus #899 to Shiheimachi/Kitayama-Jyunkan. Stay on the bus for around 20 minutes, then disembark at the stop labeled "Daigaku-Byoin-Mae". This bus stop is directly in front of the Tohoku University Hospital. Head north for around 5 minutes to reach IDAC. The city buses run in 20 minute intervals.

 

Taxi

From Sendai Station, IDAC is around 10 - 15 minutes by taxi service, and will cost around 1,500 - 2,000 yen.

   

Access from Sendai International Airport (SDJ)

 

Sendai Airport to Sendai Station via Sendai Airport Access Line will take around 30 minutes and costs 650 yen.

     

Join us to drive the development of new knowledge and to develop evidence-based solutions for improving the lives of millions.

 

   

The Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC) will always be a place where the best young minds can come to find their life’s work. Help us provide more scholarships and fellowships, and at the same time bring new richness to the student experience: more opportunities to interact with professors, to engage in independent research, to participate in internships, community-focused programs, and to make new innovative discoveries.

 

We gratefully welcome donations for the purpose of improving and developing academic research and education at IDAC. For online donations, please click on the "Give to IDAC" button below (secure external site) and kindly mention IDAC as the beneficiary. For direct deposit donations, please contact IDAC's Office of Accounting via e-mail and/or phone.

 

Thank you in advance for your kind consideration and your donation.

---

 

Office of Accounting, IDAC

Phone: +(81) 227-178-447

E-mail: ida-kei@grp.tohoku.ac.jp

     

Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University

4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken, Japan 〒980-8575 Phone: +(81) 22-717-8443 E-mail: ida-pr-office*grp.tohoku.ac.jp (Please convert "*" into "@".)