Oct 30, 2009

Discovery of a new therapeutic method to prevent the progress of a chronic kidney disease

Prof. Takaaki Abe, Division of Medical Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering working in collaboration with a group of researchers including Prof. T. Soga of the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, has discovered a new therapeutic target of chronic kidney disease “OATP-R” in a kidney. The OATP-R possesses the ability to reduce the accumulation of uremic toxins, however, its effect diminishes under the condition of renal failure. This research group has discovered that various statins, used as hypolipidemics, upregulate the expression of OATP-R, thus, intake of those statins leads to accrual of OATP-R to discharge uremic toxins out of a body and improve organ dysfunction. This research has developed a new therapeutic method to prevent the progress of renal failure including introduction of dialysis.

The article of this discovery was published in the electronic version of Journal of American Society of Nephrology on October 29. http://jasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ASN.2009070696

Obtained a patent for state-of-the-art metabolome analysis technology

A group of IAB researchers including Prof. T. Soga had obtained a patent for their invention “Metabolomic Profiling of Anionic Metabolites by Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry” on 9 Oct. 2009. (See article from 2009/6/17 for more details )

Patent No. 4385171
“A Device for the Metabolomic Profiling of Anionic Species by Sheath Flow Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry”

Oct 16,2009

The 1st CE-MS Metabolomics Workshop held by IAB

The 1st CE-MS Metabolomics Workshop was held on October 16, 2009 (Friday). (Co-host: Keio University Global Center of Excellence Program “Center for Human Metabolomic Systems Biology” )

This workshop was held for the first time to gather up-and-coming researchers from our joint research institutes to discuss state-of-the-art technology of CE-MS Metabolomics. Over 150 foremost researchers had attended this workshop with 8 oral presentations as well as a laboratory and Metabolome Campus tour.

Click here for program details.(Japanese)

Sept 4, 2009

Professor M. Tomita wins the Metabolomics Society Distinguished Service Award

IAB Director, Prof. M. Tomita received the award for Distinguished Service to the Metabolomics Society at The 5th International Conference of the Metabolomics Society (Aug.30-Sept.2, 2009) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

June 25, 2009

Two IAB-Keio University Spinout BioVentures selected among top 20 Most Promising University-based Startups by METI

Human Metabolome Technologies, Inc. (Head Office: Tsuruoka city, Yamagata Prefecture, President: Ryuji Kanno) and Spiber Inc. (Head Office: Tsuruoka city, Yamagata Prefecture, President: Kazuhide Sekiyama) recognized to be among the 20 Most Promising University-based Startups in “Report of Fundamental Survey on University-based Startups in FY 2008” by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

June 17, 2009

Metabolomic Profiling of Anionic Metabolites by Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry

A group of IAB researchers including Prof. T. Soga working in collaboration with colleagues at Agilent Technologies, Inc. published the findings of a new study entitled “Metabolomic Profiling of Anionic Metabolites by Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry” in Analytical Chemistry on 12 June, 2009.

Article Abstract >>

May 26, 2009

Measurement of internal body time by blood metabolomics

A study by a group of IAB researchers including Yuji Kakazu and Professor Tomoyoshi Soga working in collaboration with Yoichi Minami, Takeya Kasukawa and Hiroki R. Ueda, Team Leader, of Laboratory for Systems Biology and Functional Genomics Unit, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (Director: Masatoshi Takeichi) reveals a method for measuring bodily time by analyzing metabolic products in the blood using a combined liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry technique developed at IAB. This new approach to reading circadian status is published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online (PNAS Online) on 1 June, 2009.

Article Abstract >>

May 20,2009

Could anti-parasitic drugs be effective against cancer?

Metabolomic analysis suggests that cancer uses the same type of metabolism as roundworms

Results of joint research project (Project of Early Clinical Development for Anti-Cancer Medicine and Devices) conducted by the Super Special Consortia between the Institute for Advanced Biosciences at Keio University and the National Cancer Center Hospital East

A group of researchers including Akiyoshi Hirayama and Professor Tomoyoshi Soga of the Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Keio University (located in the City of Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, Director General: Masaru Tomita) and Hiroyasu Esumi, Director of the National Cancer Center Hospital East (located in the City of Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture) have used metabolomic analysis to show that the metabolism used by cancer cells to create the energy necessary for proliferation could be the same or similar to the specific type of metabolism used by parasites such as roundworms in low-oxygen environments. These are the first such findings ever made worldwide, and are the results of a joint research project entitled “Project of Early Clinical Development for Anti-Cancer Medicine and Devices” conducted between IAB Keio University and the National Cancer Center Hospital East, which was selected by the national government as a Super Special Consortia for FY2008 for supporting the development of cutting-edge medical care. The findings were published in the 19 May, 2009 online edition of Cancer Research (American Association for Cancer Research).

Article Abstract >>