| Professor | Shimpei KAWAMOTO |
Everyone aspires to live a long and healthy life. In our newly established laboratory, launched in July 2025, we seek to address a fundamental question:
Why does aging—a universal phenomenon—progress at different rates among individuals?
Even among people of the same age, some appear more youthful than others. This suggests that aging involves more than simply the passage of time; it varies significantly between individuals. What drives these differences?
We are investigating the mechanisms of aging from three key perspectives:
• Microbiota residing in the gut, skin, and other body sites
• The immune system, which safeguards the body
• Cellular senescence, the stress-induced state of cells
Through these studies, our goal is to help create a society where individuals’ health spans are extended, empowering people to lead more active and fulfilling lives as they age.
If you are intrigued by the question, “Why does aging progress at different rates in different people?” or want to help fulfill the universal wish for a long and healthy life, we invite you to join us in this research journey!
Topics of Research
1. Gut Microbiota and Aging
The gut hosts hundreds of bacterial species collectively known as the gut microbiota. These microbes play a vital role in human health—not only in digestion but also in maintaining immune balance.
Our previous research has shown that gut bacteria influence immune cell function and can contribute to inflammation and autoimmune diseases. We have also found that aging disrupts gut microbiota balance, making immune cells—especially B cells—more susceptible to aging.
Moving forward, we aim to clarify how gut microbiota drive immune aging and impact systemic aging.
2. Oral Microbiota and Aging
The mouth harbors a diverse bacterial community known as the oral microbiota. Recent studies have linked periodontal pathogens to diseases such as cancer and dementia.
We discovered that periodontal bacteria accelerate colorectal cancer progression by inducing cellular senescence. We also found that aging-related changes in immune cells worsen oral health.
Building on these findings, we will further explore how oral bacteria influence aging.
3. Skin Microbiota and Aging
The skin, another microbial habitat, visibly reflects aging. Using the skin as a model, we are investigating how resident bacteria contribute to tissue aging.
Recent Performance
1. Mizuno H, Kawamoto S*, Uemura K, Park JH, Hori N, Okumura Y, Konishi Y, Hara E* (*corresponding author). B cell senescence promotes age-related changes in oral microbiota. Aging Cell. 2024; 23(12): e14304
2. Kawamoto S*, Hara E (*corresponding author). Crosstalk between gut microbiota and cellular senescence: a vicious cycle leading to aging gut. Trends Cell Biol. 2024; 34(8): 626-635.
3. Kawamoto S* , Uemura K, Hori N, Takayasu L, Konishi Y, Katoh K, Matsumoto T, Suzuki M, Sakai Y, Matsudaira T, Adachi T, Ohtani N, Standley DM, Suda W, Fukuda S, Hara E* (*corresponding author). Bacterial induction of B cell senescence promotes age-related changes in the gut microbiota. Nat. Cell Biol. 2023; 25(6): 865-876.