Our technology allows us to induce differentiation of iPS and ES cells into immature blood cells, and we provide them as young red blood cell-like cells (Mpv), useful for drug discovery research of Vivax malaria, and as immature dendritic cells (Mylc), useful for virus research such as dengue and zika fever. In 2020 we developed a new cell product specialized for research on the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and started providing it to researchers all over the world.
When I was working in India in my previous career, a number of coworkers succumbed to infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue. Vivax malaria, for which rapid development of new drugs is desired. Dengue fever, for which people are waiting for the development of a vaccine. All research and development of drugs for infectious diseases mediated by blood require a huge number of specific blood cells, and the difficulty in procuring them was the largest cause of the delay in the development of drugs and vaccines.
Thus, I made up my mind to produce and provide the specific blood cells required in large quantity at low price using regenerative medicine technology, a cutting-edge technology of Japan.
After I returned to Japan, my business plan was accepted in the Support System for Venture Companies Solving Unmet Medical Needs of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2015. Then, my business went into full-scale operation and I established my company in 2016. After that, I have received various business support from local governments, associations, and investment institutions and won awards from multiple organizations, and I have been energetically developing blood cell-like cells and providing them to the world with like-minded colleagues and employees.
In 2020, the world is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this situation, I sincerely hope that MiCAN’s blood cells can help accelerate the development of new drugs and vaccines.