Center Director: Nobuhide Doi (Associate Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology)
Main Campus: Yagami
Center Overview
The purpose of this center is to promote the formation of a research hub for advanced biotechnology as a university-wide organization that spans across faculties and graduate schools. With a foundation in life sciences and a mission to lead the future development of humanity, the center promotes the fusion of various research fields—including medical sciences, engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, and information science—to break new ground in the field of life.
Keywords and Main Research Themes
Puromycin technology, IVV method, C-terminal labeling method, drug discovery, cancer stem cells, myeloma, genome network, methylproteome, antibody
2013 Business Report
■ Implementation Details, Research Results, and Degree of Achievement for the Fiscal Year's Business Plan
The following three projects were promoted through collaboration between medical sciences, engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, and information science, yielding the following results.
Analysis of abnormal differentiation control using artificial cancer stem cells and cancer drug discovery research: This fiscal year, we newly evaluated 47 strains of actinomycete culture fluid isolated from samples such as soil. From the actinomycete 2011-K9 strain, we isolated and purified four components that tested positive for Oil Red O staining, an indicator of differentiation induction into adipocytes, using C18 reverse-phase HPLC. Through structural analysis using NMR, mass spectrometry, and other methods, we identified them as the isoflavones glycitein, calycosin, genistein, and pratenesin.
Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of metabolic fluctuation by carbon monoxide stimulation and methylproteome analysis: Regarding the rate-limiting enzymes that alter metabolic flux in response to carbon monoxide signals, we analyzed their post-transcriptional regulators of expression obtained through proteomics, successfully clarifying a part of their control mechanism. This provided new insights into metabolic remodeling through post-transcriptional regulation under carbon monoxide signaling. Furthermore, we conducted basic studies on specific targeting techniques for proteome-wide analysis of arginine methylation, a post-translational modification closely related to carbon monoxide, and obtained good results.
Development of new therapeutic agents for multiple myeloma and elucidation of their molecular mechanisms: We synthesized the novel drugs phthalimide derivative and anilinoquinazoline derivative Q50 for myeloma with p53 abnormalities and confirmed that they have a growth inhibitory effect on myeloma.
■ Number of Published Papers (and Major Journal Names), Number of Conference Presentations (Domestic and International), and Achievements in Social Contribution such as Events (Date and Location)
Published papers: 10, including Nat Commun, Cancer Res, and PLoS ONE
Conference presentations: 10 domestic, 2 international
■ Notable Achievements Through Center Activities
A notable achievement is the following research result from a collaboration between the Faculty of Science and Technology and the School of Medicine.
In the process of elucidating the role of the cancer stem cell niche, we identified PKM2 kinase as a protein that interacts with CD44 using the in vitro virus (IVV) method, a proprietary technology developed at the Faculty of Science and Technology. We then revealed that CD44 interacts with PKM2 kinase at its intracellular domain, thereby activating the pentose phosphate pathway, increasing NADPH production, and promoting GSH synthesis. These findings indicated that CD44 contributes to the formation and maintenance of tumor tissue by increasing resistance to intracellular and extracellular oxidative stress through GSH synthesis. These results were published in the international cancer journal Cancer Res. (Cancer Res., 72, 1438, 2012) and were highly acclaimed.
Project Members
Principal Investigator
Makoto Suematsu
ProfessorMedical BiochemistryHideyuki Saya
ProfessorInstitute of Advanced Medical Sciences (Gene Regulation)