he 56th Naito Conference — “Immune and Metabolic Regulation: From Basic Research to Early Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies”

This international conference aims to advance ultra-early disease diagnosis and the development of innovative therapies through an integrated understanding of the immune and metabolic systems. From the emerging paradigm of interactions among the immune, metabolic, and nervous systems, we will explore subtle pre-onset changes critical to disease development and discuss cutting-edge research paving the way for preemptive medicine. By sharing the latest achievements in each field, the conference will foster active exchange and interdisciplinary integration, and will also feature poster presentations by early-career researchers selected through an open call. Through these efforts, we seek to nurture the next generation of scientists in the interconnected domains of immunity, metabolism, and neuroscience.

Keynote Speakers and Major Themes

• Professor Anjana Rao (La Jolla Institute) established the molecular basis of immune responses by elucidating the signaling pathway from intracellular calcium influx during T-cell activation to nuclear translocation of NFAT. Her pioneering work on metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic regulation from T-cell activation to exhaustion has driven innovation in cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune disease treatment. She will present therapeutic strategies targeting the metabolic plasticity of immune cells and disease-specific metabolic signatures.
• Professor Shimon Sakaguchi (Osaka University) elucidated the molecular mechanisms of “immune tolerance” through the discovery of regulatory T cells (Treg), establishing a new field and earning the 2025 Nobel Prize. The immune-regulatory mechanisms mediated by Treg cells have become foundational to drug discovery, including immune checkpoint inhibitors. He will present the latest findings on tissue-specific functions and metabolic regulation of Treg cells, immunosenescence, and disease susceptibility, with perspectives for clinical application.

Sessions Organized by the Organizing Committee

Members of the Organizing Committee will each lead innovative sessions integrating immune and metabolic regulation from their specialized perspectives:

• Masaaki Murakami (Hokkaido University; National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology [QST]; National Institute for Physiological Sciences) will host a session encompassing the inflammatory basis known as the IL-6 amplifier and the neuro-immune interaction termed the gateway reflex. Discussions will focus on immune-cell tissue infiltration and molecular mechanisms underlying chronic inflammation, particularly in T-cell–mediated pathology, and on applying these insights to the diagnosis and treatment of intractable inflammatory diseases.
• Professor Takanori Kanai (Keio University) will lead a session on intestinal immunity and inflammatory diseases, examining the tripartite interaction among the gut microbiota, immune system, and metabolism. Topics include mucosal barrier dysfunction, gut immune-metabolic crosstalk, inflammatory bowel disease, and—via the nervous system—the role of the gut–liver–brain axis in systemic autoimmune disorders.
• Professor Hideki Katagiri (Tohoku University) will lead a session on inter-organ metabolic networks, focusing on metabolic regulation via communication pathways connecting the brain with pancreatic β cells, the liver, adipose tissue, and the intestine. Therapeutic targets for diabetes and metabolic syndrome will be explored from the perspectives of metabolic information-processing mechanisms and the autonomic nervous system.
• Professor Hiroyoshi Nishikawa (Kyoto University、National Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan) will organize a session on tumor immunity and metabolic reprogramming, addressing immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment and associated T-cell exhaustion. Employing spatial single-cell analytical approaches and metabolic signatures, the session will dissect tumor lesions to elucidate immune-metabolic crosstalk and propose novel therapeutic strategies.
• Professor Hiroshi Takayanagi (The University of Tokyo) will lead a neuro-osteoimmunology session, exploring bone–immune–nervous system networks from multiple viewpoints. Grounded in bone–immune–neural connections across physiological and pathological contexts—such as chronic inflammation, aging, infection, cancer, and neurodegeneration—the session will overview the roles of metabolism, the endocrine system, and the tissue microenvironment, and discuss translational prospects for therapeutic application.

Expected Outcomes and Outlook

Harnessing advanced technologies—including single-cell analyses, spatial omics, and AI-driven data integration—the conference will elucidate the spatiotemporal interactions among the immune, metabolic, and nervous systems. These efforts aim to clarify the shared pathophysiological foundations of diverse inflammatory conditions—including cancer, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases—identify pre-onset diagnostic biomarkers, and propose therapeutic targets for precision medicine. By establishing the new concept of immune–metabolic–neural checkpoints, the conference seeks to generate next-generation strategies for disease control.

By uniting the pioneering research of the keynote speakers with the forefront of immunology and metabolism research in Japan and around the world, this meeting will accelerate the translation of basic discoveries into clinical applications and contribute to establishing a new medical paradigm centered on ultra-early diagnosis and therapy.