Development of Information Base Technology for Evaluation of Organ Functions of Intestinal Microbiota by Disease Metagenomics

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H03538
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 62010:Life, health and medical informatics-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Imoto Seiya 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 教授 (10345027)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 湯上 伸弘 富士通株式会社(富士通研究所), その他部局等, 研究員 (30417183) ; 植松 智 大阪公立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 教授 (50379088)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: メタゲノム解析 / AI / 腸内細菌叢

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have performed metagenomic analysis of bacterial and phage flora in several typical diseases associated with dysbiosis and developed technologies to extract functional pathways associated with disease onset and progression. Furthermore, to correct this, we have successfully developed a technology to search for phage-derived enzymes that can infect and lyse symbiotic pathogenic bacteria from metagenomic data, and a new information analysis technology based on contrastive learning to predict host bacteria of phages. Furthermore, tools for interpreting the results of metagenome analysis based on comprehensive database information were developed and released. Using these technologies, we have elucidated the healing mechanism of recurrent C. difficile-associated enterocolitis and analyzed the bacteria responsible for the odor of axillary dysbiosis at the genetic level.

Free Research Field

バイオインフォマティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

腸内細菌の構成異常によるさまざまな疾患に対する新たな治療法としてのファージ療法の開発につながる研究成果を得た。この技術は、メタゲノムデータを基盤とすることで、難培養性細菌やファージを対象とすることができ、現在、社会の脅威となっている多剤耐性菌に対する有力な対策となることが期待できる。