Topics
 
[ TOPICS on 2002 ]
MAJOR TOPICS OF FOUNDATION'S PROJECTS- 2003
New project, "TLO Authorized by Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare" has launched
  In May 2003, "TLO Authorized by Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare" was established within the Foundation. The objective of this project is to transfer technologies invented by national research institutes/laboratories under the control of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to the private sector. Eight applications for domestic as well as for overseas patents have already been filed, and requests for list reference from private corporations are coming one after another. Agreements with several national laboratories under the control of MHLW were signed while the registered member of Authorized TLO reached to 43 organizations. Further development of this project is expected. Refer to the website of the Foundation for project details.
New project titled"Project for Disease-related Protein Analysis Research / Proteome Factory for Drug Discovery" is inaugurated and the operation is proceeding
  JHSF has established a consortium consisted of 22 private corporations and inaugurated the above project in collaboration with National Institutes of Health Sciences. The laboratory of Proteome Factory for Drug Discovery was set up in Kashima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, by innovating the interior of an existing facility rented from MEIJI SEIKA KAISHA LTD. (Meiji Confectionary Co. Ltd.). Currently, personnel assignment, procurement and installation of equipment were proceeding and the earliest possible launch of the research is expected. The project is featured in the Foundation's website.
Health Science Research Resource Bank's (HSSRB) projects were reinforced and fulfilled
  The supply of frozen liver tissue and other tissues from medical organizations to HSSRB, Japan's first human tissue bank, and then the transfer of these tissues to public and private research organizations/institutes are on the right track. Likewise new projects of the collection and/or transfer of refrigerated tissues and fixed tissues became now available. In the areas of cells and genes, the bank has started the subdivision of a mass-cultured B cells of approximately 1000 lines and DNAs prepared from the cultured B cells. These B cells are Japanese-derived ones which were originally deposited from Pharma SNIP Consortium. The infrastructure of the bank's projects were furthermore reinforced and fulfilled with preparations of 15 lines of animal embryos and sperm and so on.
Human Science Research Seminars and Workshop were held attracting many participants
  The seminars on " Alzheimer's Disease - Its onset mechanism and prospects for drug discovery" was held in September followed by "Drug discovery strategy for chronic, progressive renal diseases - How to prevent transition to dialysis treatment" in December 2003 with approximately 200 attendants respectively. In November, a workshop entitled " Molecular targeting in the next generation genomic drug discovery- Let's grasp the status and issuess of the research and discuss on the prospects of the future" was held at Kazusa Academia Hall attended by 120 researchers. The earnest discussions were exchanged until late night.
A total of four "Health Science/Bio Interface" were held demonstrating a steady establishment of this activity
  The events launched in March 2003 aiming to encourage intellectual interface among researchers of member companies of JHSF, academia and bioventures were held quarterly. They were well accepted as opportunities for exchanging technical information. The "e-bio interface" that offers JHSF's website pages to bioventures has also started.
Overseas survey was conducted on the theme of "Latest trends in the US and European countries regarding translational research and regulatory science in the fields of bio-based drug discovery and regenerative medicine"
  The objectives of this survey were to obtain 1) information on drug development and medical technologies applicable to the Japanese industries,@and 2) information that needed in constructing strategies for new business. Major pharmaceutical firms, venture companies, universities and governmental/public academia in Europe and the US were visited to investigate the latest trends in the fields of bio-based drug development and regenerative medicine. The delegation departed for Europe on October 5, 2003 and visited Germany, UK and other EU countries and then flew to Washington DC. The two-week survey was completed successfully and the final report was to be published on March 2004.