April 9, 2015
Regience has
regeneration
started
a
joint
research
of
liver
Regience K.K.
Regience K.K. (hereafter, Regience) has concluded a joint research agreement
with Keio University regarding the research of liver regeneration. In this joint
research, we are going to develop the new transplantation methods of liver tissue
and the regenerative medical products for the treatment of liver cirrhosis and inborn
errors of metabolism.
Eiji Kobayashi, Specially appointed professor of Department of Organ Fabrication,
Keio University School of Medicine and the world’s expert on translational research
of transplantation/regenerative medicine, is researching for applying the fabrication
of human organ in clinical setting. Swine is getting more acceptable choice for
experimental animal in preclinical research, especially in the field of regenerative
medicine because of its biological and anatomical similarity to human. Additionally,
it is easily accessed by many researchers because it has been miniaturized in late
years. In this joint research, we are going to fabricate human liver tissue/organ in
swine and examine whether the tissue/organ is capable of transplantation to human.
Cirrhosis is a disease with which 400 to 500 thousand of people are estimated to
be affected nationwide and one of the major factors that can damage the nation’s
health, but there is no effective treatment for this disease. It also can lead to liver
cancer or liver failure as it further progresses. Inborn errors of metabolism is
congenital genetic diseases of metabolism. The majority are due to defects of single
gene that codes for enzyme. Liver is often compared to a chemical factory, because
liver has many metabolic pathways. Therefore, many metabolic disorders caused by
reduced function of the liver. Radical treatment of these disease is liver
transplantation only. However, the donor of liver transplantation is short chronically.
Furthermore, newborn infants can not receive immediately the liver transplantation
after the diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism from the standpoint of safety of
perioperative care. Some of them with serious metabolic disorder that could not
undergo liver transplantation will develop hepatic encephalopathy.
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Regience is going to develop the implantable liver tissue. In newborn infants with
inborn errors of metabolism, they can prevent hepatic encephalopathy with the use
of liver tissue and receive appropriate treatment immediately after the diagnosis of
metabolic disorder. The final goal of this project is fabrication of implantable human
liver organ in swine for the resolution of donor shortage (Fig.1).
Dr. Kobayashi, the representative of this joint research, comments as below;
“Basic research of regenerative medicine in Japan has been leading the world.
As well as a researcher, a company and social support are essential to make use of
this science for the treatment. Across the border with academic clique and country,
I want to let this project succeed for a patient.”
Masanori Murayama, CEO of Regience, comments as below;
“I think that the integration degree of regenerative medicine build up in the following
order, cell unit, cell sheet, spheroid, and organ. In pharmacological and toxicological
test, I think that it becomes essential to use the medium-sized animals such as a pig
and a monkey. Because the extrapolation to human is difficult in the small-sized
animals such as a mouse and a rat. Fabrication of implantable organ is a dream for
human beings. This goal is far, but I am very glad to take the first step. Dr. Kobayashi
is leading expert in this field and is pioneer of regenerative medicine using pig which
is mainly used as medium-sized experimental animal. I am looking forward to
pursuing the goal with him.”
<Company profile of Regience>
▪ CEO, Representative Director: Masanori Murayama
▪ Address: Toranomon bldg. 3F, 1-1-12 Toranomon, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-0001
▪ Capital fund: 705 million yen
▪ Business activities: Research & development and manufacturing/distribution of
regenerative medical products
Should you have any questions, please contact the following:
Ms. Yukiko Takashima
Public Relations, General Affairs, Regience K.K.
Phone: +81-3-3431-3515
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Fig.1 The use of swine as the liver fabrication platform
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