vol.15 September 2021

KOBE Biomedical Innovation Cluster newsletter vol.15
- September 2021 -

Hello, It has gotten noticeably cooler in the mornings and nights in Japan. Autumn is said to be "the time of harvest" and we tend to have big appetite! Among some seasonal leisure in autumn, vegetable & fruit picking are one of popular activities, and there are some places for picking here in Kobe. Peaches, grapes, pears, apples, chestnuts, sweet potatoes etc...

To find out more about things to do and places to visit in Kobe, here's a good website for you! https://www.feel-kobe.jp/en/

If you missed our past issues, please visit E-newsletter page.

FBRI Editorial Team

NEWS

Kobe University established a treatment and research center for cancer photoimmunotherapy and started outpatient Illuminox® services for head and neck cancers at Kobe University Hospital International Clinical Cancer Research Center (Published: August 2, 2021)

On July 1, the Photoimmunotherapy Center was established in Kobe University Hospital, and on July 7, outpatient-only services began at the International Clinical Cancer Research Center in the aforementioned hospital in the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster.

Aeras Bio is expanding the range of application of dental pulp regenerative treatments

Aeras Bio, Inc. is a research-based company in the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, developing regenerative medicine using stem cell for dental pulp for dental pulp regenerative treatment.

Kobe City Launched Eldercare Technology Implementation and Promotion Project ~ Designing the Future of Eldercare ~

Kobe city support the implementation and promotion of technologies into eldercare facilities in order to reduce caretakers' workload, secure and maintain personnel, and advance the establishment of work-friendly environment.

Evec has succeeded in developing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Evec, a member of Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC), has succeeded in developing monoclonal antibodies that can neutralize not only wild-type strain of COVID-19, but also its variants currently prevailing (e.g., Alpha and Delta variant).

FBRI Commences Renovation for New Contract Manufacturing Facility for Cells in order to Accelerate Development of Cell and Gene Therapy Treatments

FBRI will renovate the fifth floor of the Kobe Center for Medical Innovation (KCMI) at the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC), creating the Kobe Cell Manufacturing Innovation Center (tentative name), which will serve ad manufacturing facility carrying out contract manufacturing of cells for corporations engaged in developing cell and gene therapy treatment.

Genetic Diagnosis and Counseling at Kobe City Eye Hospital for Inherited Retinal Dystrophy was Approved by Advanced Medical Care Conference(Published: September 3, 2021)

An Advanced Medical Care B notification was issued regarding genetic diagnosis and counseling at Kobe City Eye Hospital for inherited retinal dystrophy, and it was approved at the Advanced Medical Care Conference held on September 2, 2021.

Prof. Minako Hoshi and Dr. Tomoya Sasahara of FBRI's research was published in an iScience journal entitled "Alzheimer's Aβ assembly binds sodium pump and blocks endothelial NOS activity via ROS-PKC pathway in brain vascular endothelial cells (Published: September 25, 2021)

In Alzheimer's disease brains, assemblies derived from amyloid-β protein (Aβ) have been suggested to elicit neuronal death in the brain parenchyma and to cause vascular damages in the cerebral blood vessels by reducing cerebral blood flow through inhibiting the blood vessel relaxation response.