vol. 56 February 2025

KOBE Biomedical Innovation Cluster newsletter vol. 56
- February 2025 -

Hello,

This year, Expo 2025 will be held in Osaka from April 13th to October 13th and since Kobe is just a 30-minute train ride away from Osaka, we expect many foreigners would visit Kobe (we do hope so!).

When we ask any visitor to our cluster, they all say that they know Kobe from "Kobe Beef", but Kobe has many other attractions besides beef. When it comes to sightseeing in Kobe, Kobe Port Tower, one of Kobe’s landmark is unmissable.

Kobe Port Tower
Kobe Port Tower offers a panoramic view of the port city of Kobe and has been a symbol of Kobe, loved by many people for more than 50 years since its opening.　 It was renewed and reopened in April 2024, having rooftop open-air deck, rotating café, museum, exhibition space and more. 　At night, it changes its appearance and is simply very beautiful!

Kobe Port Tower
~Night View~

Here’s the link to the official website of Kobe Port Tower:
https://www.kobe-port-tower.com/en/

If you are planning your visit to Japan, please do think of stopping by to Kobe and discover many charms of Kobe 🌠

FBRI Editorial Team

NEWS

VCCT Inc. and Japan Tissue Engineering Form a Capital and Business Alliance to Put iPS Cell-Based Regenerative Medical Products to Practical Use

VCCT Inc. (VCCT, headquarters in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture; President : Masayo Takahashi) and Japan Tissue Engineering Co., Ltd. (J-TEC, headquarters in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture; President and CEO: Ken-ichiro Hata) signed an agreement on a capital and business alliance on December 27, 2024, to accelerate efforts to bring to practical use an iPS cell-based regenerative medical product for retinal degenerative diseases (development name: MastCT-03), which VCCT is developing with a new technology expected to improve effectiveness and safety.

Restore Vision Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase I/II Clinical Trial of RV-001 for Gene-Agnostic Retinitis Pigmentosa

・The first optogenetic "Chimeric Rhodopsin" gene therapy tested in humans.

・RV-001 starting dose was generally well tolerated in this open-label trial.

・RV-001 a gene-agnostic approach for RP patients.

Tokyo, Japan, February 13, 2025 - Restore Vision Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing gene therapies for retinal disorders, today announced that the first patient in its Phase I/II clinical trial with RV-001 has been dosed at Keio University Hospital.