Sysmex Corporation (HQ: Kobe, Japan; Chairman and CEO: Hisashi Ietsugu), has received the 44th Inoue Harushige Prize for its “hepatic fibrosis diagnostic technology using a new glycosylation marker,” which was developed through industry-academia collaboration. The presentation ceremony was held today, July 18, 2019, at the Industry Club of Japan.
44th Inoue Harushige Prize presentation ceremony
Presentation ceremony
HISCL™ M2BPGi™ Assay Kit
Overview of the Prize
Name: | 44th Inoue Harushige Prize | ||
Recipients: | Research: | Hisashi Narimatsu (Emeritus Researcher, Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) | |
Company: | Hisashi Ietsugu (Chairman and CEO, Sysmex Corporation) | ||
Invention: | Hepatic fibrosis diagnostic technology using a new glycosylation marker |
References
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December 26, 2013 press release: “Sysmex Succeeds in World's First Practical Application of Technology Employing a Glycosylation Marker to Test Hepatic Fibrosis; Technology Allows the Degree of Hepatic Fibrosis, from Hepatitis to Cirrhosis of the Liver, to Be Determined Swiftly”
https://www.sysmex.co.jp/en/news/2013/131226.html |
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January 5, 2015 press release: “Hepatic Fibrosis Test Reagent (HISCL M2BPGi Assay Kit) Receives Approval for Health Insurance Coverage − Speedy Blood Sample-based Test for Measuring the Progression of Hepatic Fibrosis from Chronic Hepatitis to Cirrhosis of the Liver−”
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August 29, 2016 press release: “Sysmex Wins the 14th Annual Merit Award from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry for Collaborative Achievement Between Industry, Academia and Government”
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Website of the Inoue Harushige Prize:
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NEDO projects:
As one of Japan’s largest public research and development management organizations, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) plays an important part in Japan’s economic and industrial policies. It has two basic missions: “Addressing energy and global environmental problems” and “Enhancing industrial technology.” The Medical Glycomics Project (fiscal 2006 through fiscal 2010), which contributed to the success of realizing the current reagent, employed basic technologies developed through the Glycogene Project (fiscal 2001 through fiscal 2003) and the Structural Glycomics Project (fiscal 2003 through fiscal 2005). |
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Glycosylation marker: Sugar chains, the linked monosaccharides that bind to the surface of a cell or a protein in the blood, are sometimes described as "cell and protein costumes." Their roles include the transmission of information specific to individual cells and intercellular communications. A glycosylation marker is a biomarker that targets structural changes in sugar chains present in glycoproteins. |
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The path to practical application: Sysmex’s collaborative research partner, the AIST Research Center for Medical Glycoscience (as it was known at the time of development) searched for disease biomarkers indicating qualitative changes related to hepatic fibrosis. The center identified the Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (“M2BP glycosylation isomer”) in reaction with Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (“WFA”), a type of lectin*, as the biomarker with the highest correlation to development of hepatic fibrosis. However, the force bonding glycoproteins and lectin was extremely small, at 1/1,000th that of the force bonding antibodies and antigens. Clinical application was thought to be difficult, as measurement at the basic research level required more than 18 hours. However, Sysmex noticed that the target M2BP was characterized in vivo by a ring-shaped structure with 8–12 subunits. The Company then developed a proprietary method for fixing WFA at high concentrations, facilitating bonding with WFA at multiple points. This technology made it possible to capture M2BP glycosylation isomer for reaction with WFA in a tiny quantity of blood serum (10μL), facilitating the development of in vitro diagnostic reagents to quickly enable diagnosis of the progress of hepatic fibrosis (17 minutes) and to a high degree of sensitivity using chemiluminescence. *Lectin: A collective term for carbohydrate-binding proteins. Some 40–50 lectin varieties are known, and these wide-ranging lectins have specific sugar chain structures. Recognizing and combining these sugar chain structures allow the targeting of specific lectins, thereby determining structural changes in the sugar chain. |
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Liver biopsy:
To perform a pathological diagnosis, a biopsy needle is inserted into the abdominal region to extract liver tissue. In this testing, a portion of that liver tissue is studied under a microscope. |