平成25年度文部科学省「大学等シーズ・ニーズ創出強化支援事業（イノベーション対話促進プログラム）」採択課題において、SDGs推進研究大学である岡山大学が取り組んでいるイノベーション促進のための3つの対話コアである「①光技術と生命科学融合、②産官学連携強化、③未来志向型異分野ネットワーク構築」について紹介。さらに事業後も「地域中核・特色ある研究大学：岡山大学」からの未来を拓く教育研究・社会貢献活動などについて随時ご紹介。 since2013~2024, "All rights reserved" , OKAYAMA University, JAPAN.
On November 21st and 22nd, The 1st (First) International Symposium
for Intercellular Communication and Extracellular Vesicles (ICEV-1) was
held at Okayama University.
This international symposium focused on “extracellular vesicles” such as
exosomes, whose importance had been rapidly unveiled in recent years.
Researchers at Okayama University held this symposium under a specific
aim to develop “elucidation and medical application of extracellular
vesicle-mediated biomedical network” driven by a vision “to implement a
number of large projects to elucidate intercellular communication
networks and to build up a world-class research core” that lead the
university and the world.
In total, over 100 people participated in the symposium. Eight keynote lectures were given.
Dr. SHEN Tang-Long from International Taiwan University gave a lecture
on “how glycosylated exosomes facilitate the pre-metastatic niches in
specific organs in cancer.”
Dr. TAKEI Kohji at Okayama University lectured on “a novel mode of action of dynamin in membrane traffic.”
Dr. SHIBA Kiyotaka from Cancer Institute introduced their efforts to
maximize “the diagnostic information of oral fluid by focusing on
certain types of extracellular vesicles.”
Dr. EGUCHI Takanori at Okayama University gave a talk on “how oncogenic
extracellular vesicles (oncosomes) facilitate tumor progression and drug
resistance”, using three-dimensional tumoroid models.
Dr. YOSHIKO Yuji from Hiroshima University gave a lecture on “Bone
matrix acting as a reservoir of microRNA” to prevent bone dissolution.
Dr. EKUNI Daisuke at Okayama University talked on “salivary microRNAs
for potential diagnostic tools in chronic periodontitis and
pancreatobiliary tract cancer.”
Dr. KOSAKA Nobuyoshi from Tokyo Medical University talked on
“extracellular vesicles released from cancer cells are the target for
novel anti-cancer therapy.
Dr. YOSHIDA Kaya from Tokushima University gave a talk on “how
periodontal P. gingivalis infection causes hyperglycemia and pneumonia,
mediated by extracellular vesicles.”
Two more speeches and 14 poster presentations were given followed by
brisk discussions and active exchanges at the social gathering as well.
Aiming at “fostering next-generation research” leading the university
and the world, a poster presentation competition was held among early
carrier researchers and students. The Young Investigator Awards were
awarded to Dr. KAWAI Hotaka and two graduate students, Ms. LI Chunning
and Ms. TAHA Ahmed Eman, at Okayama University Graduate School.
Prior to this symposium, Okayama University was selected as one of the
research universities driven by“the program for promoting the
enhancement of research universities.” Then, Okayama University has
specified the project “BioMedical Network of Extracellular Vesicles” as a
“Priority Research Area” at the University since 2018 and chosen the
ICEV project “Elucidation and Medical Application of Extracellular
Vesicle-mediated BioMedical Network” as a “Next Generation Research
Development Group” in 2019.
◯ Priority Research Area and Next Generation Research Development Group
Since 2018, Okayama University has designated the research areas that
represent the potential strengths of the University as “Priority
Research Areas” and has provided priority support. In addition, in order
to nurture large-scale research projects in the “priority research
areas”, highly potential research groups have been identified and
strengthened as “Next Generation Research Development Groups” to promote
project formation.
Contact:
Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Department of Dental Pharmacology. Professor Kuniaki Okamoto
ICEV secretariat: Chiharu Sogawa
ICEV-1 organizer: Takanori Eguchi
e-mail: icev.officem◎gmail.com
※Replace ◎ with @.
Phone number: 086-235-6661 https://sites.google.com/view/icev
The III International Symposium on the Ancient Maya in Japan: “The
Cutting-Edge Interdisciplinary Research in Maya Archaeology,” was held
from December 13-15 at the Tsushima Campus, Okayama University. It was
the first international conference on Maya archeology at Okayama
University, that culminated as a successful exchange among scholars from
6 countries.
The organizers included: the Center for Research on the Dynamics of
Civilizations (Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at
Okayama University), and the Institute for Advanced Research (Nagoya
University) ; with the support from the Center for Cultural Resource
Studies (Institute of Human and Social Sciences at Kanazawa University),
the Okayama Visitors and Convention Association, the Japan Society for
Studies of Ancient America, and the Integrative Human Historical Science
of "Out of Eurasia,” Exploring the Mechanisms of the Development of
Civilization, and so on. During the three days, over 100 participants
gathered at the conference to organize the first full-scale
international Maya archaeological conference in Chugoku and Shikoku
regions.
The 4th International Symposium of Healthcare Education at Okayama
was held on December 14, 2019, in the first lecture room of the Faculty
of Dentistry.
This symposium was held with the aim of establishing international
relations with dental universities in the field of education and
research. We invited deans of the dental school or directors of the
hospitals from two universities each in Indonesia and in Vietnam and one
university in the Netherlands, the United States, and in China to share
information on the unique educational and research systems at their
universities. A total of 200 or more faculty members and students
participated in the symposium. Lectures - by invited speakers (2
sessions), ODAPUS*1 students, O-NECUS*2 students, graduate students, and
young overseas researchers - and poster sessions were held.
10 researchers and 7 students gave presentations about their researches,
or introduced on their universities. Finally, a Q&A session was
held on the 24 posters on the floor. There were lively discussions in
all sessions. Excellent poster awards were presented to Eman A. Taha
(dental pharmacology), Ha Thi Thu Nguyen (implant regeneration
prosthetics), Islam Md Monirui (preventive dentistry), and Assistant
Prof. Kawai Hotaka (oral pathology).
In this symposium, not only faculty members but also undergraduate and
graduate students who involved in various study abroad programs joined
actively. In order to build a new international dental university
cooperation, the symposium was a great opportunity for the next
generation of dental students and young researchers to gain the
essential knowledge and experience for future international academic
exchange.
*1 ODAPUS: Okayama University Dental School Short-term-Study- Abroad Program for Undergraduate Students
*2 O-NECUS: Okayama University-North East China Universities platform, ‘Graduate’ Student Exchange Program
〇The symposium was supported by, Astellas pharma Educational support and Alpha-bio Co., Ltd.
〇Presenters and the contents:
・Associate Prof. Muhammad Ruslin of Hasanuddin University: the current status and future of dental care in Indonesia
・Associate Prof. Tong Minh Son of Hanoi Medical University: oral health status of the elderly in Vietnam
・Prof. Vu Quang Hung of the Hai Phong Medical and Pharmaceutical
University: an introduction of Haiphong University of Medicine and
Pharmacy
・Associate Prof. Tianna Wahyu Utami of Gadjah Mada University: the efficacy of oil in leaves of Scorodocarpus borneensis
・Prof. Hongchen Sun of the China Medical University: the role of Acvr1 in dentin formation
・Prof. Albert Feilzer of the Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam: the side effects of dental materials
・Prof. Igor Spigelman of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) :
new non-psychotic cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain
・KOMIYAMA Yuji and NATSUME Kazumi - 5th and 3rd year students at Okayama
University Dental School - and Dr. Nur Mohammad Hassan of Charles Sturt
University: lectures related to the ODPUS program
・2019 O-NECUS students Mr. Yuhan He (China Medical University) and Mr.
Qianqian Lu (Jilin University): an introduction of their universities in
China
・Graduate students of Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,
Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences - Akhter Mst Nahid (biomaterials),
May Wathone Oo (oral pathology), and Ei Ei Hsu Hlaing (orthodontics) :
presentations on their research
・Associate Prof. Heni Susilowati of Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Pham
Thanh Hai of Hai Phong Medical and Pharmaceutical University: lectures
on their research
Okayama University is currently promoting actions contributing to the
achievement of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) set by the United
Nations. The 3rd SDGs café was held December 18th at L-café with
approximately 30 university personnel and students participating.
Sustainable Development Goal 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation” was the
topic of the day, in which participants were given the opportunity to
deepen their understanding regarding current issues about clean water
and sanitation throughout the world.
Mr. MURAKAMI Fumio, from LIXIL Corporation, presented various projects
in education and sanitation that are currently taking place in Japan and
overseas. He informed the group that 2.3 billion (one in three people)
throughout the world do not have access to safe and hygienic toilets. In
effort to combat this global issue, he introduced one of LIXIL’s
products called SATO, which has already saved many children’s lives and
has impacted social environments in developing countries.
In further discussion, international student of Okayama University,
Nicoles Ocota, and research student, Daniel Acheampong, conducted a
presentation about sanitation and toilets in their home country, Ghana.
They explained “in Ghana there are not enough toilets in schools, which
causes many students to miss class”. They further explained that their
social society, in general, lacks toilets. From this sanitary issue,
there is much difficulty in maintaining a hygienic environment in Ghana.
To close the conversation in the 3rd SDGs Café “Clean Water and
Sanitation”, a participant commented that they are “astonished with the
number of people who don’t have access to clean toilets, and never
imagined that sanitary problems are this serious”. Much was learned in
SDGs Café, and many of the participants are excited to engage in the
next SDG conversation to discuss innovation for other global issues
still needing to be solved.
* LiXIL has been valued for its problem-solving activities, such as
production and promotion of revolutionary, affordable toilet systems in
developing countries; in which they have received global innovation
recognition as runner up in the 2018 Japan SDGs Award.
Source: Okayama University (JAPAN), Public Relations Division
For immediate release: 14 January 2020
Okayama University research: Rising from the ashes—dead brain cells can be regenerated after traumatic injury
(Okayama, 14 January) In a recent study published in Scientific Reports
researchers at Okayama University describe the development of a method
to generate neurons from other types of cells to compensate for brain
cells lost during injury.
A stroke is a debilitating neurological condition that arises when there
is deprivation of blood to brain cells. It can lead to loss of memory,
motor skills, and cognition. Currently, stroke patients are treated by
restoring proper blood flow to their neurons. However, these neurons are
often dead by the time treatment is given. Replacing dead neurons is
therefore an ideal but very difficult strategy to regain loss of brain
function. Now, researchers at Okayama University have now developed a
method of converting non-neuronal cells in the brain into neurons for
this purpose.
Ascl1, Sox2, and NeuroD1 are proteins found within neurons. When they
are introduced tactically into ordinary cells, the cells start showing
neuron-like properties. The research team led by Professor ABE Koji and
Senior Lecturer YAMASHITA Toru designed their studies based on this
principle. Small silicon filaments were first inserted into specific
blood vessels within the brains of mice. These filaments clogged the
vessels and restricted blood flow thereby giving the mice a stroke.
Three days after a stroke was induced, a delivery system comprising a
weakened virus was used to inject Ascl1, Sox2, or NeuroD1 into the
damaged brain areas. Viral systems usually attack rapidly-diving,
younger cells, and not mature cells like neurons. This gave the team
tight control over the type of cells the virus would enter and deposit
the proteins into. Indeed, it was observed that protective, non-neuronal
cells called as glial cells were the ones targeted successfully.
Twenty-one days after the viral injection these glial cells started
presenting markers typically found in young neurons. Forty-nine days
after the injection these cells had characteristics of mature neurons,
including the branching pattern typical to neurons. The injection of
Ascl1, Sox2, or NeuroD1 successfully led to the generation of “new”
neurons. The researchers also analysed behavioural patterns of these
mice to assess their mobility post stroke. However, in spite of brain
cell regeneration their movement was not completely restored.
“Taken together, the present study successfully achieved, for the first
time, in vivo direct reprogramming by enforced transcriptional factors
(Ascl1, Sox2 and NeuroD1) in the post-stroke mouse brain”, conclude the
authors. This successful regeneration of brain cells after a stroke is a
step forward in therapy; it remains to be studied whether tweaking this
process further can restore neurological function as well.
Background
Stroke: A stroke occurs when oxygen supply to the brain cells is cut
off. This is usually the result of an occluded blood vessel or
uncontrolled bleeding within the brain. Brain cells can die within
minutes of such injury. At present, regeneration of neurons in stroke
patients has not been conducted successfully and neuroscientists have
been at this endeavour for decades.
Neurons: Neurons are specialized cells that are the building
blocks of the brain. Each function controlled by our brain is being
executed by specific types of neurons. Thus, the location and function
of neurons determines which neurological function will be hampered by a
stroke. Given how indispensable neurons are for our day-to-day
functioning, preserving healthy neurons and generating younger ones has
been an age-old mystery in medical science. Neurons are protected
closely by their neighbours: glial cells.
Reference
Toru Yamashita, Jingwei Shang, Yumiko Nakano, Ryuta Morihara, Kota Sato,
Mami Takemoto, Nozomi Hishikawa, Yasuyuki Ohta, Koji Abe. In vivo
direct reprogramming of glial linage to mature neurons after cerebral
ischemia. Scientific Reports, (2019) 9:10956.
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47482-0 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-47482-0 Correspondence to
Professor ABE Koji, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
E-mail: abekabek (a) cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
For inquiries, please contact us by replacing (a) with the @ mark. www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/med/shinkeinaika/english.html
Source: Okayama University (JAPAN), Public Relations Division
For immediate release: 4 December 2019
Okayama University research: Primary intraocular lymphoma does not always spread to the central nervous system
(Okayama, 4 December) Researchers at Okayama University report in the Journal of clinical and experimental hematopathology
that primary intraocular lymphoma, a cancer in the eye, does not always
develop into central nervous system lymphoma. In addition, the
scientists confirmed that there is no marker available to predict when
the former will develop into the latter.
Primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) is a cancer in the eye originating
in lymphocytes, cells of the immune system that fight infections;
lymphoma is the condition when lymphocytes grow in an uncontrolled way.
Often, PIOL develops into central nervous system lymphoma —
uncontrolled growth of lymphocytes in the nervous system in the brain
and the spinal cord. It is not clear, however, whether this development
always occurs. Now, Professor MATSUO Toshihiko (eye doctor) and
Assistant Professor TANAKA Takehiro (pathologist) from Okayama
University have addressed the question whether there are PIOLs that do
not develop central nervous system lymphoma. They observed a group of
patients, and found that in the small number of cases, PIOL does not
spread to the central nervous system. Importantly, PIOL has a good
prognosis if it does not develop into central nervous system lymphoma.
The researchers studied 22 patients (14 women, 8 men) for up to 14
years. The patients’ ages ranged from 42 to 84 years at the time of the
first eye examination. In 12 patients, both eyes were affected by
PIOL; in the others, only one eye. All 22 patients underwent vitrectomy
(surgery in which some or all of the vitreous gel between the retina
and the lens in the middle of the eye is removed) after diagnosis of
PIOL.
Of the 22 patients, 17 developed central nervous lymphoma. For 3 of the
5 patients who did not, the follow-up period was relatively short (up
to 3 years). The follow-up periods for the other 2 patients were 5 and
11 years; these patients did not undergo chemotherapy or radiation of
the eye. Based on these long-term follow-up results, Matsuo and Tanaka
concluded that PIOL does not necessarily develop into central nervous
system lymphoma.
The scientists also examined whether the presence of a protein called
CD5 in specimens taken during vitrectomy surgery are a marker of central
nervous system lymphoma. But both patients with CD5-positive and
patients with CD5-negative tests developed central nervous system
lymphoma, which made Matsuo and Tanaka conclude that “at present, there
is no marker available to predict whether a patient with PIOL will
develop central nervous system lymphoma.”
Background
Primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL)
Primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) is a cancer that involves the
retina, the vitreous chamber in the middle of the eye and/or the optic
nerve. It manifests itself as opacity of the gel in the vitreous
chamber, which can be accompanied by lesions in the retina, in
subretinal pigment epithelium (beneath the pigmented cell layer just
outside the retina), or in the optic nerve. Often, PIOL develops into
central nervous system lymphoma, simultaneously or at a later time.
Professor MATSUO Toshihiko and Assistant Professor TANAKA Takehiro from
Okayama University have now investigated if PIOL also occurs without
development into central nervous system lymphoma, and whether a marker
for such development exists.
Release Subtitle: Toward the development of individual model of ischemic heart disease
Release Summary Text:
A model of ischemic heart disease was developed using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC).
This model can provide a useful platform for developing effective drugs without sacrificing animals.
Full text of release:
Researchers at Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences developed a model of myocardial infarction
using cardiomyocytes differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem
cells.
The journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
published the study, with Ken Takahashi, Ph.D., as corresponding author,
and Wei Heng, MSc., a graduate student in the Naruse Lab, as first
author.
To date, laboratory animals such as mouse have been used to model
diseases including myocardial infarction. However, there have been
concerns about difference in characteristics of cardiomyocytes e.g.
heart rate and action of drugs, based on the difference of gene
expression between laboratory animals and human.
Using this model, researchers can evaluate the extent of myocardial
tissue damage by microscope morphologically, and by measuring
injury-marker proteins and analyzing contractility and its synchroneity
from recorded movie quantitatively. Further analysis revealed that gene
expression of interleukin-8, an inflammation marker known to increase in
acute myocardial infarction, increased in this model.
“This myocardial infarction model will contribute to the development of
preventive/therapeutic medicine more effective to human even without
sacrificing animals,” said Ken Takahashi, Ph.D., assistant professor in
the university and lead author of the study.
Professor Shen Jian-Ren, Vice Dean of Okayama University’s
Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, was awarded the
Gregori Aminoff Prize for 2020 together with Professor Douglas Rees from
the California Institute of Technology. The prize was given by the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to researchers who made outstanding
achievements in the field of crystallography. The award ceremony and
commemorating lecture will take place at the academy’s annual meeting
held in Stockholm on March 30 and 31, 2020.
The Gregori Aminoff Prize is given annually to a researcher or a
joint research group from across the globe who made great contributions
in the field of crystallography. This time, Professor Shen and Professor
Rees were jointly awarded the prize for “their fundamental
contributions to the understanding of biological redox metal clusters.”
Professor Shen has been studying the structure and functions of a
manganese duster that catalyzes the water-splitting reaction by a
membrane protein complex photosynthesis. Profesor Shen is awarded the
prize for his elucidation of the structure of photosystem II and the
mechanism of the water-splitting reaction.
Professor Shen was delighted to receive the news and describes: “It
is a great honor to be awarded with the Gregori Aminoff Prize. My
achievements so far are the results of joint research with many
co-researchers. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my
co-researchers, and continue my efforts to obtain even greater research
results.”
Source: Okayama University (JAPAN), Public Relations Division
For immediate release: 4 November 2019
Okayama University research: Synthetic compound provides fast screening for potential drugs
(Okayama, 4 November) A simple assay may benefit drug discovery for
treating diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimers disease, as well as
studies of functional food and endocrine disruptor report researchers at
Okayama University in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
The assay hinges on a synthetic compound that allows faster screening
with fewer hardware resource requirements than existing methods.
Retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are a type of nuclear receptor - proteins
that regulate an organism’s development, homeostasis and metabolism.
They usually operate as heterodimers alongside other proteins and
receptors, so the ligands targeting them are key to controlling their
activity. RXR activators have attracted particular interest recently
because of their potential to treat diabetes, Alzheimers and Parkinsons
disease. They are also associated with functional foods and processes by
which environmental pollutants damage health. However, methods for
screening compounds for their potential RXR targeting ligand activity
have so far proved slow and awkward. Associate Professor KAKUTA Hiroki
at University of Okayama Graduate School of Medicine and Shogo Nakano at
the University of Shizuoka in Japan, and their colleagues have now
demonstrated an assay based on a synthetic compound CU-6PMN - referred
to as 10 - that can screen for RXR targeting ligand activity in
hours instead of days with no complex equipment or radioactive isotopes
needed.
The researchers based the chemical structure of synthetic compound 10, on the RXR activator CD3254, referred to as compound 9. “Because 9
has a cinnamic acid structure, we anticipated that this structure could
be developed toward an umbelliferone structure,” they explain in their
report of the work. The significance of umbelliferone is its
fluorescence. Not only is the fluorescence of umbelliferone relatively
easy to detect - widely available filter sets can detect it - but the
compound can also be modified so that its fluorescence intensity
increases in aqueous environments. This means that if a compositely
binding RXR ligand displaces the receptor bound compound, the
fluorophore will be exposed to a more aqueous environment, its
fluorescence will increase, and the activity of the ligand can be
detected.
With compound 10 the researchers showed they could detect RXR
targeting ligand activity in just a few hours with standard fluorescence
microplate readers and no need for complicated processes. In their
report they conclude, “We believe it will be useful not only for
identifying RXR binders in drug discovery studies but also for studies
of functional foods and endocrine disruptors, though it should be noted
that fluorescence-based assays often suffer from interference when used
to screen natural products.”
Background Nuclear receptor activity mechanisms
Nuclear receptors are found in cells. They sense the presence of small
molecules such as steroid and thyroid hormones and regulate the
expression of genes to control bodily processes. The human body has 48
types of nuclear receptor. The RXR activator bexarotene is already used
clinically to treat cutaneous T cell lymphoma, and recent studies have
recommended its potential for treating diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease,
and Parkinson’s disease. Polyunsaturated fatty acids including
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are naturally occurring RXR targeting ligands
and are linked to improved memory and metabolic syndrome. Conversely
the impact of environmental polluters on nuclear receptors can inhibit
their interaction with hormones and disrupt the endocrine system.
Current assay techniques
To test for the presence and activity of substances, researchers in
medicine, pharmacology and environmental and molecular biology use
assays. Previous assays for RXR targeting ligand activity have also used
fluorescence, but they have had drawbacks. Those based on time-resolved
fluorescence resonance energy transfer, require a special reader plate,
while others have been based on quenching the autofluorescence of the
molecule tryptophan, which has a weak autofluorescence signal at a
wavelength that standard readers cannot detect. Alternative assays have
used reporter genes and take 3-4 days to detect ligand activity, or they
have used radioisotope labelled ligands, where the issues that surround
use of radioactive isotopes further complicate an already complex
procedure.
