Window to Japan
The non-exclusive license covers the use of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the patient’s bone marrow to develop regenerative therapy for spinal cord injuries and brain infarction. Experiments for stroke patients (phase III) are already done at Sapporo Medical University. Nipro press release, April 28, 2014
Wako distributes already Incella’s Screenfect transfection reagents. The collaboration has been widened on liposome synthesis based on combinatorial chemistry, including some investment. Nikkei Biotech, April 28, 2014
According to officials at Chiba University, reliability of the study is low, scientific falue is poor, and there may be a problem of conflict of interest. Nikkei Biotech news release, April 27, 2014
The procedure, codeveloped by Nissan Chemicals and Nipro, is based on a bag system with methylcellulose and gellan as protecting agent. Kh-ES1 cells were used as a model NEDO news release, April 25, 2014
The new company, YL Biologics, Tokyo, will develop biosimilars such as Embrel (Etanercept), an anti-TNF used as antirheumatic agent. Yoshindo Pharmaceuticals news release, April 24, 2014
The concept is based on directed drug delivery using specific siRNA and vitamin A derivatives. Clinical collaboration is with Sapporo Medical University. Nitto Denko news release, April 22, 2014
Japan suffers from over 30.000 suicides per year and has established a suicide prevention center in October 2006 by which this study was done. Nikkei Biotech news release, April 22, 2014
Thailand, the world’s largest exporter of tapioca, provides cassava pulp as the raw material to this demonstration plant which will produce 1,8 kl/day or 656.000 kl/y of bioethanol. The plant is located in Sakeo Prefecture, and the Japanese contractors are Iwata Chemical Co. and Sapporo Breweries. NEDO news release, April 22, 2014
A tripartite group from Tokyo University, Osaka University and Nagoya University has resolved the structure of this membrane protein at 2,4 A, suggesting paracellular pathways for ion homeostasis Hiroshi SUZUKI et al., Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1248571
Using a mixture of chemicals and whole-brain imaging, The RIKEN QBic group for Systems Biology around Hiroki R UEDA achieved a single-cell resolution image of neural activity. Etsuo A SASAKI et al., Cell DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.042