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A research group led by Associate Professor and Professor Yokoyama has discovered the molecular mechanism by which trans fatty acids promote aging and inflammation.Itabashi Campus

On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Kotaro Hama Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Professor and Kazuaki Yokoyama, Teikyo University Professor in collaboration with a research group led by Ryota Kojima, Tohoku University Graduate School Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate School Student, Yusuke Hirata, Tohoku University Associate Professor and Atsushi Matsuzawa, Tohoku University Professor found that elaidic acid, the most major trans fatty acid, promotes cellular aging and inflammation that occur upon DNA damage The research group has discovered that elaidic acid, the most major trans fatty acid, promotes cellular senescence and inflammation that occur during DNA damage.

Based on past epidemiological findings, the intake of trans fatty acids such as elaidic acid, which are found in some processed foods, has been considered a risk factor for diseases related to aging and inflammation, including arteriosclerosis and lifestyle-related diseases (such as MASLD). However, the detailed molecular mechanism of inflammation induction was unknown.
This study revealed that elaidic acid is incorporated into tiny membrane domains called lipid rafts on the cell membrane, and by accumulating the cytokine IL-1 receptor within these domains, it enhances the activation of inflammatory signals downstream of the receptor, amplifying cellular senescence and inflammatory responses. Mice fed elaidic acid showed increased liver cellular senescence and inflammation when they developed MASLD, a condition that triggers cardiovascular disease and liver cancer. This finding is expected to lead to the development of groundbreaking prevention and treatment strategies for arteriosclerosis, MASLD, and other trans fatty acid-related diseases.

These results were published online in the international scientific journal iScience on Tuesday, August 5th.

Press release here
The published paper is here
More about Associate Professor Hama here
For more information about Professor Yokoyama, please see here.
For more information about Teikyo lab., click here

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