Report of UZH-KU Joint Research Project
Section 1
Project title:
Project coordinator (KU)
Name
Position
Faculty, department
Project coordinator (UZH)
Name
Position
Faculty, department
Period of project
Project location

No. of participants

Technology integration to achieve artificial regulation of white adipose tissue
inflammation in obesity using SMART genetic switches
Ganesh Pandian NAMASIVAYAM
Junior Associate Professor
Graduate School of Engineering/Department of Molecular Engineering/
Institute for Integrated Cell Material Sciences (iCeMS)/Kyoto/Japan
Marie-Charlotte Brüggen
Assistant Professor
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
Faculty of Medicine, University Zurich, Zurich, Christine Kühne Foundationof Allergy Research and Education (CK CARE), Davos, Switzerland
From: 1 April 2021
To: 31 March 2022
Zurich University and Kyoto University[KU] Faculty members: Hiroshi Sugiyama, professor[UZH] Faculty members: Reihane Ziadlou, post-doc
Others:*A participant list can be attached instead of completing the above section.
The list should include the details above.

URL at which project
outcomes can be viewed (e.g.
https://www.namasivayam.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp/blank-1
workshop
notifications/programs/reports,
evidence of academic papers
published or otherwise madeavailable, etc.)

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Photographs with captions

Dr. Reihane Ziadlou from University of Zurich explains about Imaging
Mass Cytometry to team Kyoto University.

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Section 2
Summary of the project (approx. 200 words)*KU project leaders are required to submit a summary of the project in Japanese in addition to the English
summary (approx. 400 characters).

白色脂肪組織（AT）の慢性的な軽度の炎症は、メタボリックシンドローム・変形性関節症・癌などの疾患の病態メカニズムの一端を担っており、その炎症調節が課題となっている。本助成金により、京都大学（KU）とチューリッヒ大学（UZH）のチームは共同研究を遂行してきた。
昨年度、KU では NF-κB シグナル伝達経路・IL-6 などの関連する炎症反応の調整が可能なSMART 遺伝子スイッチの合成・スクリーニングを完了した。一方、UZH はヒト脂肪細胞の炎症モデルを標準化し、NF-κB 関連の炎症への DNA ベースの遺伝子調節システムを検証している。
また、JSPS 若手研究者海外挑戦プログラムにより現在 KU にいる UZH の Reihane Ziadlou 博士により、炎症モデルと脂肪由来間葉系幹細胞における SMART 遺伝子スイッチの有効性が調査されている。加えて、共著論文の作成と日本学術振興会国際助成金の申請を予定している。

Chronic, low-grade inflammation in obesity-related white adipose tissue (AT) has been recognized as a key
pathomechanism underlying several other diseases such as metabolic syndrome, osteoarthritis and cancers.
Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop alternative strategies to regulate AT-related inflammation.
With this KU-UZH grant, the teams from Kyoto University (KU) and the University of Zurich (UZH) havesynergistically mobilized the intellectual expertise from both sides to create a fruitful collaborative project.
In FY2021, KU synthesized and screened smart (= Programmable DNA recognition) genetic switches
capable of altering the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and their associated inflammatory
responses like Interleukin-6. On the other hand, UZH standardized an inflammatory model of humanadipocytes to validate the DNA-based gene regulation system in controlling inflammation through NF-κB
signaling pathway. Dr. Reihane Ziadlou from UZH, who is now in KU with JSPS Young Researcher`sExchange Program hosted by the KU project leader is currently exploring the efficacy of smart genetic
switches in the established inflammatory model and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The teams
are also preparing the joint manuscripts and the applications for JSPS international grants and are expecting
to sustain the collaborative activities.

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