https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Kanazawa University Researchers from Kanazawa University have developed a one-step recycling method that recovers toxic lead (Pb) and valuable metals including gold (Au) and indium (In) from flexible perovskite solar cells, supporting sustainable solar energy technologies. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-toxic-recovery-flexible-perovskite-solar.html Engineering Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:40:03 EDT news701339761 Researchers at Kanazawa University identified dopamine-driven neural mechanisms of motivation in a mouse model of behavioral addiction, offering insights into treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-dopamine-modulates-brain-circuits-behavioral.html Sat, 20 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news700758141 A research group led by Dr. Keiko Ueno, assistant professor at the Innovative Clinical Research Center, Kanazawa University, has revealed the status of collaboration between fire-based emergency medical service (EMS) agencies and community-based long-term care, welfare , and health organizations in Japan. The study identified six key practical measures essential for building a collaborative model that sustains long-term coordination between medical care and social support needs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-paramedics-bridge-medical-community.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:40:04 EDT news700747324 Researchers at Kanazawa University have identified a previously unrecognized mechanism by which structural changes in the cerebellum influence social behavior. The study demonstrates that disruption of specialized extracellular structures surrounding cerebellar neurons alters neuronal activity across brain circuits involved in social behavior. The findings provide new insight into the neural mechanisms associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The work is published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-cerebellar-nets-social-behavior-autism.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:00:03 EDT news700476661 A research team at Kanazawa University, led by Professor Atsushi Mizokami, Associate Professor Koji Izumi and Specially Appointed Assistant Professor Taiki Kamishima (a fourth-year doctoral student at the Graduate School of Medical Sciences), has elucidated a novel molecular mechanism driving the progression of "double-negative castration-resistant prostate cancer (DNPC)"—one of the most treatment-resistant forms of prostate cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hard-prostate-cancer-stroma-kras.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:20:02 EDT news700464441 An international collaborative research group has developed a new computational method to visualize the electronic states of aperiodic nanomaterials as band structures through first-principles calculations on finite-sized giant molecule models. The approach reformulates band unfolding for giant molecule models and works even when translational symmetry is imperfect or the material is curved. The team includes Assistant Professor Naoya Yamaguchi and Professor Fumiyuki Ishii of the Nanomaterials Research Institute at Kanazawa University, Associate Professor Chi-Cheng Lee of Tamkang University in Taiwan, and Professor Taisuke Ozaki of the University of Tokyo. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-visualizing-band-nanostructures-theory-imperfect.html Nanomaterials Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:00:04 EDT news700318545 Physician-scientists at Kanazawa University have demonstrated, for the first time, the clinical efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy in patients with ultra-rare urachal cancer. Furthermore, their reverse translational research elucidated the mechanism by which the addition of immunotherapy enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-clinical-efficacy-chemoimmunotherapy-ultra-rare.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:40:02 EDT news700306698 Researchers at Kanazawa University, in collaboration with Diamond and Carbon Applications (Germany), have developed a buried-growth process for nitrogen–vacancy (NV) centers in diamond using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). By employing nitrogen-radical selective etching, which simultaneously enhances metal-mask durability through nitridation, the team enabled a continuous etching–growth sequence within a single MPCVD process. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-growth-enables-2d-arrays-position.html Plasma Physics Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:40:09 EDT news700228921 Researchers at Kanazawa University and the Japanese Stroke & Physical Activity Multiple Center Research Team have identified distinct sedentary behavior patterns among patients with stroke undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-patients-sedentary-profiles-inpatient-rehab.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:30:01 EDT news699872936 In Science of The Total Environment, researchers demonstrate the broad distribution of particulate thiols in the western North Pacific and show that their main source is marine phytoplankton. The analysis indicates that differences in thiol concentrations between ocean areas are significantly influenced by water mass properties, phytoplankton composition, and environmental stress. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-particulate-thiols-western-north-pacific.html Earth Sciences Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:00:01 EDT news692964039 Musculoskeletal disorders are a primary cause of disability worldwide, especially in aging societies like Japan. As individuals age, reductions in muscle mass and physical activity weaken the body's structural support, increasing the likelihood of falls, bruises, fractures, and subsequent functional decline. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-immune-cell-subset-muscle-regeneration.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:10:09 EDT news692971501 Clinically available KRAS inhibitors mainly target G12C, which is rare in PDAC and often acquires resistance. Oncogenic KRAS inactivates RB1 via CDK4/6, while RB1 mutation is rare. Thus, CDK4/6 inhibition offers an indirect strategy to counter KRAS-driven malignancy without direct KRAS targeting. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-cdk46-egfr-blockade-pancreatic-cancer.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news692625449 Researchers at the Cancer Research Institute and the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have uncovered a critical mechanism that enables gastric cancer to spread to distant organs. Their study shows that cancer cells stimulate Wnt signaling in surrounding stromal fibroblasts to produce hyaluronan, creating a supportive microenvironment that promotes metastasis. These findings provide new insight into how metastatic tumors establish themselves and suggest promising strategies to prevent gastric cancer progression. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-wnt-stomach-cancer-reshaping-tissue.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:00:06 EST news692023381 In the context of global decarbonization, reducing energy consumption in the building sector is an urgent issue. Researchers have developed a next-generation building energy evaluation model that combines rule-based symbolic AI computing with VR technology. This model enables real-time visualization and simultaneous evaluation of the energy-saving effects and indoor thermal comfort during the design stage of a Zero-Energy Building. This approach will have a wide range of applications in the design of next-generation smart buildings. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-powered-digital-twin-enables.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:23:14 EST news690204181 A study by an international research team, with Dr. Yuichi Nishikawa from the Faculty of Frontier Engineering at Kanazawa University as the lead author, has for the first time elucidated sex differences in motor unit firing patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease. The study is published in the European Journal of Neuroscience. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-unraveling-sex-differences-motor-behavior.html Neuroscience Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:00:02 EST news689956383 Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Cancer Research Institute at Kanazawa University have uncovered how targeted lung cancer drugs alter the shape and behavior of a key cancer-driving protein—revealing a hidden mechanism that helps explain why some treatments stop working over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-visualizing-cancer-drugs-reshape-proteins.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:34:38 EST news688664042 An international team from Kanazawa University (Japan), Tohoku University (Japan), LPP (France), and partners has demonstrated that chorus emissions, natural electromagnetic waves long studied in Earth's magnetosphere, also occur in Mercury's magnetosphere exhibiting similar chirping frequency changes. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-mercury-bepicolombo-mio-earth-geotail.html Space Exploration Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:50:01 EST news688051114 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, in collaboration with Osaka University and the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism behind the activation of the Met receptor—a key player in tissue regeneration and cancer progression. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-uncovering-hidden-mechanism-met-receptor.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:10:01 EST news687540120 Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have captured real-time images showing how a key brain enzyme organizes itself to help memory formation. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-high-afm-imaging-reveals-brain.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:06:50 EST news687449190 Burkitt's lymphoma is a rare and aggressive blood cancer characterized by a translocation of the MYC gene. It occurs most often in children and young adults. In recent years, CAR-T cell therapy—often referred to as a "living drug" and administered as a single dose—has been approved for certain types of blood cancer, offering hope for a cure even in severe cases. However, its effectiveness against Burkitt's lymphoma has been limited. Moreover, developing drugs that directly target MYC—the root cause of this cancer—has proven challenging for decades. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-combination-therapy-burkitt-lymphoma-mice.html Oncology & Cancer Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:00:01 EST news686577382 Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects more than 250 million people worldwide and can lead to chronic liver disease and liver cancer. Current antiviral therapies suppress viral replication but do not eliminate the virus, highlighting the urgent need for new strategies to block HBV entry into liver cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-netrin-disrupts-hepatitis-virus-internalization.html Medical research Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:51:25 EST news685723862 A research team at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Faculty of Medicine at Kanazawa University has developed a new class of engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) capable of inducing antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs), the immune cells that play a central role in suppressing excessive immune responses. The findings, now published in Drug Delivery, may pave the way for next-generation therapies for autoimmune and allergic diseases, where unwanted immune activation must be precisely controlled. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-strategy-immune-tolerance-extracellular-vesicles.html Immunology Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:48:28 EST news685640881 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report the successful creation of artificial synaptic vesicles that can be remotely controlled by near-infrared (NIR) light. By embedding a phthalocyanine dye into lipid bilayers, the team achieved local heating that modulates membrane permeability, enabling precise release of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-triggered-nanoscale-communication-nerve-cells.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:10:01 EST news683894317 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have developed a method for quantitative imaging of ATP levels inside living cells. The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces qMaLioffG, a genetically encoded fluorescence lifetime indicator that allows scientists to observe how cells produce and consume energy in real time. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-quantitative-atp-imaging-cellular-energy.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:36:35 EST news683894125 Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have discovered how a gene-regulating protein forms tiny liquid-like droplets inside the cell nucleus (the compartment that stores and manages DNA) to guard against cancer. Their study, published in Nature Communications, shows that these protein droplets act as control centers that keep tumor-suppressor genes switched on. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-protein-droplets-nucleus-cancer.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:58:17 EST news682952272 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have used three-dimensional atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular dynamics simulations to determine the structure of water in the hydration of different types of chitin nanocrystals and how this affects their mechanical properties, reactivities, and interactions with enzymes and reactants. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-unraveling-effect-chitin-nanocrystals.html Nanomaterials Thu, 06 Nov 2025 13:08:04 EST news681656881 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in ACS Applied Nano Materials a new method to precisely measure nuclear elasticity—the stiffness or softness of the cell nucleus—in living cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-scanning-nanoprobe-microscope-reveals-hidden.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:18:04 EST news681643081 High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is the only experimental technique to directly watch proteins in dynamic action. However, as a surface scanning technique with limited spatial resolution, HS-AFM will inevitably provide insufficient information for detailed atomistic understanding of biomolecular function. Despite previous efforts in computational modeling attempting to overcome such limitations, successful applications to retrieve atomistic-level information from measurements are practically absent. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-flexible-method-high-atomic-microscopy.html Biotechnology Fri, 24 Oct 2025 01:55:49 EDT news680489743 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in ACS Nano, how proteins in cells can be controllably activated through heating, an effect that can be used to initiate programmed cell death. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-thermal-trigger-scientists-protein-cell.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:59:03 EDT news677408341 A collaborative research team has developed a novel method for forming high-performance high-entropy alloy (HEA) films on various surfaces without using expensive alloy targets. This was achieved using a proprietary rotating target composed of multiple pure metal segments and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technology. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-effective-method-high-entropy-alloy.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 20 Aug 2025 17:12:03 EDT news674928722