June 3, 2025
Keio University School of Medicine
RIKEN
A joint research group led by Assistant Professor Ayano Nomura, Senior Lecturer Yo Kawasaki, and Professor Masayuki Amagai from the Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, along with Team Leader Eiryo Kawakami (Special Team for Medical Data Mathematical Reasoning) and Team Leader Akihiko Koseki (Laboratory for Organismal Patterning) from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), has successfully deciphered the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and response to treatment from the state of genes active in the skin.
The most significant feature of this study is its use of tiny 1 mm skin tissue samples to meticulously analyze the gene activity in cells deep within the skin. By focusing on gene activity in the skin, which cannot be fully captured by blood tests, the research group was able to reveal a comprehensive picture of the immune reactions actually occurring at the site of the skin. Using 951 skin samples collected from 156 patients with atopic dermatitis, the group conducted both cross-sectional (comparing differences in symptoms and constitution among individuals) and longitudinal (tracking the effects of the latest therapeutic drug, dupilumab, over six months) analyses. As a result, they found that different immune reactions, such as "type 2 inflammation" and "type 17 inflammation," occur in the skin, and they were able to identify specific "gene activity signatures (biomarkers)" for each. Furthermore, they also revealed that differences in these signatures are closely related to treatment responsiveness. This discovery is expected to lead to the future realization of "personalized medicine," where optimal treatment methods are selected for each individual patient.
The results of this research were published on June 2, 2025 (UK time), in the online edition of the British scientific journal Nature Communications .
Please see below for the full press release.