The group around Toshiro SATO has succeeded to culture human adult normal colon stem cells into mice and grow them for 10 months or longer. By genome editing techniques, GFP was introduced into the human stem cells before transplantation. As a result, their growth in mice could be observed by fluorescence. It was shown that […]
Industrial consortium around Organ Technologies Co. and RIKEN start research on disease markers in human hair
The hair shaft contains minerals and proteins, lipids, hormones, melanin pigments, etc. It has been reported that ingredients contained in hair change with the onset of diseases. Thus, there is a tendency that the concentration of iodine in the hair of cancer patients tends to be high, and the hair of diabetic patients tend to […]
Megakaryon raises 3.7 billion funding for human platelet formation from iPS cells
Megakaryon was founded in 2011 aiming at the clinical application of platelets produced by megakaryocytes derived from human iPS cells. It owns intellectual property of immortalizing and storing frozen megakaryocytes derived from human iPS cells. In August 2017, the company formed a consortium from 13 companies towards commercialization of this technology for transfusion blood products. […]
RIKEN team develops high-throughput analysis of individual E. coli cells (E. coli capsule hotel”)”
The group around Yuichi TANIGUCHI at RIKEN has developed a method to observe individual E. coli cells. Using electron beam technology, a capsule-like pattern of dips 4 × 0.6 × 0.5 μm size was drawn on a photoresist coat on the surface of a silicon wafer, and this surface was cut with plasma. The silicon […]
Solar Frontier Co. develops thin-film solar cell with 22.9 % conversion efficiency
Under a NEDO contract, the company improved the CIS light absorbing layer and surface treatment of light absorption. CIS solar cell use copper, indium, selenium, etc. as a light absorbing layer and have a structure in which a transparent conductive film/buffer layer/light absorbing layer/back electrode are laminated on a glass substrate. The present improvement is […]
Terumo introduces patch-type insulin pump
Terumo’s product name is Medisafe With”, weighs 34 g and has a body slightly larger than a match box. It must be replaced every 3 days. From the main body, a plastic needle stabs into the skin. Insulin is injected from here, and adjusted using a remote control touch panel. Using the control panel, basal […]
Tohoku University team establish human placental stem cell culture (TS cells)
A team around Takahiro ARIMA at Tohoku University has succeeded to establish human TS cells from placental trophoblast. Trophoblasts with high purity were isolated from human placenta and genes and factors were identified that control their growth. Based on this information, human TS cells were cultured for more than 5 months, and even after prolonged […]
NEDO consortium manufactures golf balls from Eucommia-derived biomass
A group from Hitachi Zosen and Casco Co., under a NEDO contract, used a Eucommia (Euophorbia)-derived trans-polyisoprene polymer as a new biomaterial to prepare golf balls („Biospin“) which will be marketed from April 2018. The process includes vulcanization and silanization. In future, this type of biocomposite with high impact resistance and toughness is expected to […]
Kyushu group develops bioreactor for continuous production of glycolic from oxalic acid
A group around Tadashi AKIAKI of Kyushu University found that titanium dioxide catalyst was effective for the electrochemical synthesis of glycolic acid from oxalic acid. A membrane-electrode assembly with enhanced substrate permeability and a solid polymer-type electrode covered with TiO2 were used to transform oxalic acid continuously into glycolic acid. JST news, December 13, 2017
Hyogo and Hokkaido University Hospital start clinical trial on cell therapy for Crohn’s disease
In the Phase I/II clinical trial, pregnant women’s amniotic membrane („medical waste“) are used for mass culture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and investigated for the treatment of Crohn’s disease and acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In preclinical studies on amniotic MSC it was clarified that amniotic MSC have multipotency and immunosuppressive ability like bone marrow […]