Empowering the next generation of radiation research fueled by international collaboration

The Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) marks its 50th anniversary this year in 2025, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over the past half-century, RERF has stood as a monumental achievement in the field of radiation health effects research. Through the ongoing collaborative efforts of Japanese and American scientists, and with the devoted cooperation of atomic bomb survivors and their families, RERF has broadly characterized the health effects of atomic bomb radiation. This body of work has considerably added to the collective scientific knowledge of humankind. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) express their profound gratitude to the researchers of both nations whose efforts have contributed to the historic and present success of this unique institution, and to the atomic bomb survivors and their descendants whose participation makes such research possible. We extend our heartfelt congratulations on this extraordinary accomplishment through binational cooperation. The Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC), predecessor of the current RERF, was established and operated by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) with funding from the US government under a directive from President Harry S. Truman in 1947. One year later, the National Institute of Health of the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare officially joined the research initiative. In 1975, based on a negotiated agreement between the governments of Japan and the USA [1], the ABCC was reorganized into the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, a non-profit foundation under Japanese law that assumed responsibility for continuing the research initiated by the ABCC [2]. Large-scale epidemiological cohorts established during the ABCC era, including the notable Life Span Study (LSS) of ∼120 000 survivors, are among the longest-running epidemiological studies in the world [3]. Findings derived from these studies not only serve as critical foundational data for the healthcare, medical treatment, and welfare of atomic bomb survivors, but also provide the scientific basis for radiation protection standards and practices worldwide, and have spurred scientific advancements in various fields of study [4, 5]. RERF operates under the principle of equal partnership between Japan and the USA, with funding currently provided by MHLW and DOE. The institution is structured around joint Japanese-American support, with a bi-national Board of Directors that conducts day-to-day management, equal representation on a Board of Councilors that provides operational oversight, and equal participation in a Scientific Advisory Committee that makes recommendations regarding ongoing and new research programs [2]. This restructuring has supported the empowerment of Japanese partners and scientists to co-lead a collaborative research organization, which in turn has delivered 50 years of groundbreaking science. RERF’s ongoing scientific discoveries have substantially broadened global understanding of the effects of radiation on the human body, and have been particularly instrumental in shaping the radiation protection community’s understanding of long-term effects of radiation exposure on human health. For example, RERF scientists have elucidated the types of cancer anticipated to occur years to decades after irradiation [6, 7] and described increases in cataracts and possibly cardiovascular disease following radiation exposure [8, 9]. As follow-up in the cohort continues and RERF broadens its non-cancer research profile, the LSS continues to provide the epidemiological backbone of international radiation protection guidelines, informing everything from public and occupational radiation safety standards to the safe use of radiation in medicine and even the protection of astronauts from space radiation [4, 5]. These valuable research findings—contributing significantly to the improvement of human health—have only been made possible through the long-term cooperation of the atomic bomb survivors, their children, and their families. The next generation of studies from RERF’s research aims to connect traditional epidemiology and emerging biological techniques to address critical unanswered questions about radiation’s long-term health effects. This shift in understanding will allow public health experts to pivot from risk characterization (i.e. setting protection standards and regulations) to risk mitigation (i.e. preventing and treating radiation-induced health effects). By understanding individual factors that affect how radiation impacts health outcomes, risk models can be adapted to different groups of individuals, enabling development of more relevant standard of care models for each group to improve radiation protection and health outcomes. The question of whether radiation exposure to parents can affect their unexposed children can also be addressed more comprehensively. Paired with animal and cellular studies that enable a clearer mechanistic understanding of carcinogenesis and other health effects following radiation exposure, these studies offer deeper insights into potential pathways for risk mitigation. Interdisciplinary contributions from biomedical researchers, data scientists, epidemiologists, and ethicists from Japan and the USA will be critical to ensure the appropriate use of biological samples voluntarily donated by the survivors. This year not only marks the 80th year since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the 50th year of RERF’s research, but also the groundbreaking of construction of RERF’s new facility at the Kasumi Campus of Hiroshima University. This relocation, which is generously supported by MHLW, Hiroshima University, and the City of Hiroshima, promises to enhance the capabilities and resources available to RERF scientists and broaden collaboration opportunities, increasing the knowledge, skillsets, and range of ideas contributing to the research. Moving toward this new age of science and cooperation parallels the establishment of RERF 50 years ago. In 1975, a new era of Japanese-American collaboration took root. With the cooperation of atomic bomb survivors, their children, and the local communities, a new chapter in this partnership emerged. Hand in hand, we compassionately move toward the future. At MHLW and DOE, we look forward to the next 50 years of scientific health research for the betterment of the survivors and their families, as well as all humankind. C.M.M., S.R.E., J.Y.Z., and M.Y. conceived of the idea. C.M.M. lead manuscript writing, and J.E. ensured continuity. M.Y., H.H., and M.J.S. provided project supervision. All authors contributed to the final manuscript. None declared. No new data was generated or analyzed in support of this commentary.